WATCH: Gov. Lee to tour damage in Cocke County after Helene

NEWPORT, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee toured the damage in Cocke County following the devastation of Hurricane Helene across the state Thursday morning .

“The EMA Team, the fire department, the Sheriff’s Department, the local officials, county mayor; their response has been very impressive,” said Lee.

Lee met with local officials and spoke with flood victims at the county’s Water Distribution Station. While some water service has been returned , the county remains under a boil water advisory.

“We haven’t had flooding like this. The extent, the flash nature of it, the rate of water rise. We saw that on a very limited scale in Waverly . This is widespread Waverly flooding and you know what; every disaster is unique in its own way. They’re all tragic. They’re all difficult. They all present their whole a whole new array of problems. This one has a whole array of problems that we haven’t had in the last few years,” said Lee. “Our focus from state government partnering with Feds down to the locals is to remember that survivor-centric approach to this response is what will keep us moving forward.”

Cocke County is also one of several counties eligible for federal funding to assist in recovery.

“The disaster declarations allow for funding for reimbursements. They don’t speed up the response process. We are responding without the paperwork being complete. The paperwork allows for federal assistance for reimbursement,” said Lee.

He added that there are 400 National Guard troops, 400 Tennessee Department of Transporation workers and 200 Highway Patrol troopers in the region.

“Part of my reason for being on the ground is to know from the people here, what they need. We can’t sit in Nashville and know what Cocke County needs. We have to be in Cocke County and say tell me what you need,” said Lee.

Lee closed by saying he has seen a lot of support from across the United States including the governors of Georgia, Florida, Arkansas and Iowa.

Earlier in the day, Lee surveyed the damage in Greeneville . On Wednesday, Lee provided an update at the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s (TEMA) headquarters; on Tuesday, he was in Unicoi County surveying the damage and meeting with victims first-hand .

Hurricane Helene hit Florida on Thursday, Sept. 26 as a Category 4 and moved up into Georgia, then East Tennessee and the Carolinas on Friday. More than 100 deaths have been reported with at least 11 in Tennessee , while recovery and cleanup efforts remain ongoing.

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