BEFORE AND AFTER: East Tennessee continues to bounce back 6 months after Helene
Helene made landfall and moved into East Tennessee on Sept. 27, 2024.
COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - Six months since Hurricane Helene made landfall, locking in a course for East Tennessee, communities across the area are continuing to rebuild.
Helene made landfall and moved into East Tennessee on Sept. 27, 2024. Since then, communities like Newport, Unicoi County and Cocke County have worked to put their lives back together.
The images below show downtown Newport just after Helene and as it looks today.
Below are stories of survival and rebuilding as the communities hit the hardest continue to band together and overcome the devastation Helene brought.
Communities Continue to Rebuild
Hartford depends on rafting businesses for jobs and tourism dollars. When riverside companies were damaged during Helene, many questioned their livelihood.
Part of I-40 between Tennessee and North Carolina officially reopens to traffic, NCDOT says
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the interstate reopened on Saturday, March 1 with one lane in each direction at 35 miles per hour through the narrow lanes.
TIMELINE: What happened when Helene hit East Tennessee?
Thursday, March 27 will mark six months to the day since Hurricane Helene made landfall, moving through East Tennessee and causing unprecedented destruction and taking several lives.
Erwin bouncing back six months after Helene’s flooding
Helene’s waters caused the Nolichucky River to take away people’s livelihoods and even lives.Stories of Survival and Loss
80-year-old Shelia Creveling was in her home along the French Broad River in Newport when she noticed the waters rising and felt she had no choice but to jump in with her dog, Biscuit.
Cocke County veteran saves horses, helps rescue others during Helene flood
James Welch and his wife, who live off Woodyard Road, have a farm with several cows and horses. It’s a place their family has called home for more than 10 years, so when flood waters began to rise, they decided to stay and try to save their animals.
‘They were gone’ ’ Cocke County woman loses both parents in flood
As flood waters rushed into Cocke County that Friday night, the Obrist family tried to move to safety and away from their home.
‘They told me ‘no’’ ’ Impact Plastics employee says company could have saved lives in Unicoi County
One Impact Plastic’s employee said lives could have been saved, had employees been allowed to leave the facility sooner.
East Tennessee Bands Together
WVLT News teams up with the Red Cross to offer relief after Hurricane Helene
WVLT News is teaming up with the Red Cross to help organize donations. This, after thousands of people have been impacted by Hurricane Helene.
‘I am part of you’ ’ Dolly Parton, Dollywood announce millions in East Tennessee flooding relief
Dolly Parton made a stop in Newport one week after it and many other areas of East Tennessee were hit with massive floods brought on by Hurricane Helene.
‘I can’t believe it’ ’ Del Rio man with cancer gifted free home after floods destroyed his own
James Gregory, 84, lost his home in the devastating floods from Hurricane Helene. Incredible Tiny Homes gifted him a free one.
Claiborne County farmers helping other farmers in East Tennessee
While dozens of farmers across East Tennessee work to assess the damage from devastating floods nearly four weeks ago, others are jumping at the opportunity to help.
Trained mules and farmers from East Tennessee go to Asheville to help with flood aftermath
Weeks after severe flooding devastated parts of Tennessee and North Carolina, people are still pouring into the impacted areas and offering help.
Knox County Rescue return to East Tennessee after helping with Helene aftermath
Twenty-three members with Knox County Rescue were deployed to North Carolina and parts of Tennessee over the last several days.
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