Tennessee Army National Guard working to clean up Bumpus Cove community

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Tennessee Army National Guard has made its way into Washington County to help clean up debris and destruction left behind from Hurricane Helene.

“We were tasked by TEMA to assist with the debris removal,” said First Lieutenant Dillon Beloate with the Tennessee Army National Guard. “We have all of our dump trucks out here and our excavator focusing on getting the debris cleaned up to assist the community in any way that we possibly can.”

1st Lt. Beloate told News Channel 11 that they have around 55 National Guardsman out on Bumpus Cove Road delivering supplies and cleaning up the area. Houses have been torn apart, but some are still living in the area.

“We’re trying to help the community after such a tragic event that has happened and to help show them that we do care,” said Lt. Beloate. “We’re focused on helping fellow Tennesseans.”

Lt. Beloate said Guardsman will be out all day cleaning up the roads until it gets dark and they also have multiple other crews working in different counties across the region.

The plan for the Tennessee Army National Guard for today is mainly to clear the roads and allow families to have access in and out. As for the families who are still unable to leave, the South Central Ruritan Club is working to deliver hot meals, water and supplies to those in need.

“We just did a delivery on Sunday to Bumpus Cove all the way up at the end of the cove and you actually have to kind of walk on a little path to get back to these folks they have no way in or out,” said Lorie Copas, a member of the South Central Ruritan. “We took about 100 meals back there and some supplies.”

Copas said they have been collecting donations from people in the community to deliver to different counties in need across the region, and on Tuesday, they planned to prepare about 500 meals.

“Our whole purpose is to give back to our community. It’s what we do on a daily basis, not just when there’s a flood, hurricane or a tornado. It’s our duty as community members to give back to our fellow members,” said Copas. “And that doesn’t include just South Central, we don’t know any borders, we don’t know counties when there’s a need It’s our job to support the community.”

Copas said they took a side by side up to Bumpus Cove, and seeing the destruction in the area where she grew up was hard to witness.

“Entire homes are just gone I mean, everything’s gone, there’s nothing where houses stood,” said Copas. “It’s just total devastation, you can’t even describe it and for us, the landscape is forever changed for what we know.”

The Tennessee Army National Guard will stay in the region cleaning up debris until they are no longer needed. The South Central Ruritan has also become a hub for food, water and supplies.

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