4 state parks closed in Northeast TN after Helene

CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Four state parks in Northeast Tennessee have closed following severe weather that led to widespread flooding.

On Saturday, the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) announced the following state parks were closed due to weather:

• Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton
• Roan Mountain State Park in Roan Mountain
• Rocky Fork State Park in Flag Pond
• David Crockett Birthplace State Park in Limestone

TDEC asked visitors to refrain from entering park property as of Saturday.

Updates on when the parks will reopen will be posted online at the Tennessee State Parks website.

The state parks are located in some of the areas of Northeast Tennessee that have been hit the hardest by flooding.

The town of Roan Mountain was evacuated early on Friday. Sycamore Shoals Hospital near the historic state park was nearly entirely evacuated as Elizabethton endured rising waters. Unicoi County Hospital was submerged near the Nolichucky River , and a portion of Interstate 26 in Unicoi County remains closed. Flooding in Greene and Washington Counties has also led to calls for people to conserve water.

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