Cocke County residents lean on each other as recovery efforts begin

NEWPORT, Tenn. (WATE) — Recovery efforts in Newport are just beginning following the major flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. Streets in downtown are coated with mud and businesses along Broadway suffered damage.

“I’ve never seen this before,” said Diana Grooms, owner of Diana’s Beauty Salon. “People I’ve talked to have never seen this before.”

Grooms has owned her building 1980. Her business now stripped to the stud due to the flood.

“There was around nearly 60 people to come, to help get the water out,” Grooms said. “If I measure it would be up to my elbow. We had to take down all the paneling. It was wet and everybody jumped in.”

There was a few businesses spared like Pyramid 13 Tattoo.

“It just made a horseshoe in front of our door and our shop was spared so we are doing all we can to give back now,” Michael Nanny, owner of Pyramid 13 Tattoo said.

Nanny now using his space as a place to hand out hot meals and take donations.

“We have another ministry bringing in 250 bagged lunches,” Nanny said. “We are also taking in donations for clothes, hygiene products, toiletries.”

Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis provided an update on Monday afternoon as parts of the county are still without water.

“There have been a lot of good ole boys from the community filling up their water tanks in the bed of their trucks coming by letting people fill up five-gallon buckets and totes,” Nanny said. “They’re going to the next county over getting water and bringing it back in to be able to flush toilets, wash hands, take sink baths, that type of thing.”

The shock of it all still being felt.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” Grooms said.

Though a community devastated, the volunteer spirit in this rural county is still shining through.

“God is great and the community is super strong,” Nanny said.

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