Gov. Lee declares state of emergency, requests FEMA assistance after catastrophic flooding in East Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has declared a state of emergency after catastrophic flooding hit swaths of East Tennessee courtesy of Hurricane Helene .

Helene dumped dozens of inches of rain across the Volunteer State Friday, prompting multiple road closures around Middle and East Tennessee, starting flash floods around the Great Smoky Mountains and causing “substantial damage.”

Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday night off the panhandle of Florida and into Georgia before weakening to a tropical depression over Tennessee-North Carolina border.

The governor issued Executive Order No. 105 Friday afternoon. The declaration states Tennessee has “requested an Emergency Declaration from the President of the United States,” in part, and declared a major disaster and state of emergency beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Sept. 27.

During the state of emergency, certain state laws can be suspended to expediate relief efforts in the affected areas, including providing healthcare to individuals harmed by the storms, providing prescription medications, participating in health programs, waiving fees for licenses for people needing photo identification, allowing more vehicles transporting relief supplies to travel on ordinarily closed roads as needed, and more.

The state of emergency lasts until 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Nov. 10, per the executive order.

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Multiple road closures were reported in Cocke, Carter and Unicoi counties, where flooding has impacted routes the most.

Dozens of people had to be rescued from the roof of Unicoi County Hospital as flood waters nearly overtook the Ballad Health facility.

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn issued a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to “swiftly approve” the governor’s disaster declaration. The letter urges the president to provide the approval “as soon as possible,” citing the “catastrophic flash flooding” that has “devastated communities across East Tennessee.”

Blackburn said some areas of the state received 6 to 10 inches of rain in just 48 hours, mentioning the Unicoi County Hospital rescue operation and more than 75,000 power outages reported in the wake of the storm.

The senator said more rainfall is expected over the weekend in Middle and West Tennessee, warning that more damage is coming to the state.

Blackburn’s letter was also signed by the entire Tennessee Congressional delegation, including Sen. Bill Hagerty and U.S. Reps. Chuck Fleischmann, Mark Green, Tim Burchett, Steve Cohen, Scott DesJarlais, David Kustoff, Diana Harshbarger, Andy Ogles and John Rose.

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