Cocke County Mayor, EMA director describe decision to order evacuations during Helene

NEWPORT, Tenn. (WATE) — It’s been just over two weeks since many parts of Cocke County were flooded as the remnants of Hurricane Helene moved across the Southeast.

The damage still being assessed. Homes have been destroyed. Businesses have had to be gutted. Clean-up efforts remain ongoing. On September 27, Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis declared a state of emergency for the county.

“The most dangerous moment during this entire event,” Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis said.

Cocke County EMA Director Joe Esway recalls taking the initial call.

“I took the call. I hung up the call, and I looked at Mayor Mathis and said, ‘your honor, Walters Dam has suffered a failure.’ We need to evacuate the downtown immediately,” Esway said. “After about 12 seconds of looking at each other everybody sprang into place.”

At 4:41 p.m. Duke Energy alerted the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency the Waterville Dam, also known as the Walters Dam, did not fail. However, evacuations continued.

Two people died in Cocke County, Mathis estimates that over 100 people were rescued.

“We’re still rescuing folks by helicopter into the third day,” Esway said.

“Once you get on the ground and you see it at the ground level and meet the people who are suffering, that’s a very different thing,” Mathis added.

Though the fullest extent of the damage could have never been predicted, Mathis said the county was proactive instead of reactive.

“We started publishing warnings for this event I want to say eight days prior to that Friday,” Esway said. “I believe 19 separate messages went out. It was all about jet stream. It was about Helene’s track speed course.”

There are several resources for victims including a donation center at the old Ingles in Newport.

“There’s cleaning supplies. There’s canned good. There’s pet food. There’s diapers,” Esway said. “There’s little shopping cars at the bottom of it they get it punch and then they can come back three days later. They can come back every three days until card is used up. As long as there’s still supplies, as long as there’s still a need we will keep issuing more cards.”

Through the devastation, Mathis sees the good in his constituents.

“That’s why we’re here doing what we do. We love this community. We love these people,” Mathis said. “The only thing more beautiful than the scenery in Cocke County is the people in Cocke County.”

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