TEMA reports 15 regional weather-related deaths in newest update

TENNESSEE (WJHL) — The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) released a Monday Flash Report to provide an update on flooding impacts.

The report said 15 weather-related fatalities have been confirmed by the Tennessee Department of Health:

• Two in Cocke County
• One in Greene County
• One in Knox County
• One in Johnson County
• Seven in Unicoi County
• Three in Washington County

Unicoi County EMA Director Jimmy Erwin said on Monday that nine bodies have been recovered in Unicoi County as a result of flooding, one being a “grave body” in a casket. Five of them were residents of the county and confirmed Impact Plastics employees, and three were identified to be residents of North Carolina.

As of Monday, TEMA reported 9 active leads that the TBI is coordinating with local law enforcement on. TEMA noted this number does not represent the total of unaccounted individuals, just public leads that still need to be cleared.

• Cocke County: 1
• Greene County: 5
• Unicoi County: 3

Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton said on Monday, however, that two people remain officially missing in his county, “and we will continue to look for them until a resolution … however it may end.”

“As of Oct. 7, 19 drinking water facilities have reported operational issues,” the report states. “Of those, 15 facilities have issued boil water advisories. If you have lost water or have a loss of water pressure, check with your water system for more information and recommended actions.”

A website that shows the most up-to-date sheltering locations can be found here.

Three wastewater treatment plants reported problems within their systems due to flooding impacts, TEMA said:

• Hamblen County, Lowland Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Johnson County, Mountain City Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Unicoi County, Erwin Utilities Authority

According to the Flash Report, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) issued a temporary water contact advisory, urging the public to avoid all contact with bodies of water affected by the flooding. This applies to all surface water in the Nolichucky, French Broad, Pigeon, Doe and Watauga River watersheds–as well as any other waters affected by the flooding.

TEMA said flood victims in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties can apply for FEMA assistance. That assistance became available to the declared counties above after Gov. Lee’s Oct. 2 announcement about the approval of his request for an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration.

FEMA is processing more than 4,100 total registrations and has approved more than $1.3 million in funding, including more than $996,000 in housing assistance, TEMA said. Flood victims can apply for direct assistance through FEMA’s IA program online 24/7 or by calling 1-800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Multilingual operators are available.

Those eligible for the IA program could receive help with rental assistance, home repair and personal property replacement, as well as other uninsured/underinsured disaster losses. More information on FEMA.gov/assistance/individual .

Damage assessments are still in progress, and TEMA said those results will inform possible additional requests to be made to the federal government.

TEMA said the Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center is open at the Bristol Motor Speedway. T his center is the home base for recovery efforts and a major donation reception center. That center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

According to the report, two new Multi-Agency Resource Centers have opened in Jonesborough and Elizabethton . These centers will be staffed with FEMA crews and other federal, state and regional agencies that can assist with recovery efforts.

Temporary Driver Services locations have been established at the following locations, as duplicate licenses are being issued for flood victims who lost theirs:

• Elizabethton Driver Services Center, 1741 HWY 19 E Bypass Elizabethton, TN 37643
• Newport Grammar School , 301 College Street Newport, TN 37821
• Unicoi Police Department, 3600 Unicoi Drive Unicoi, TN 37692

Interstate 26 remains closed indefinitely at mile marker 40 in Unicoi County. Interstate 40 is closed at the North Carolina state line, TEMA said. The Tennessee Department of Transportation continues to work on repairs to state-owned roadways, and an updated map of progress can be found here.

All local county health departments are open and back to regular schedules, TEMA reported.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services activated the Emergency Prescription Assistance Program for the state to aid uninsured residents in replacing prescription medicines or certain medical equipment lost or damaged. Learn more about the EPAP program here .

The report said a Disaster Hotline–(423) 830-2696–has been established to serve as a regional hotline for community members, donors and national/international organizations.

A Crisis Clean-Up Hotline, (844) 965-1386, is available with services provided at no cost for help in disaster clean-up efforts. A Citizen Information Hotline is available at 423-979-4689 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for questions about flood safety.

TEMA recommended community members continue to monitor information provided by local officials to remain safe.

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