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The National Weather Service in Morristown extended its flash flood warning until 4 p.m. after Nolichucky Dam operators reported that “the failure of Nolichucky Dam caused flash flooding downstream.”

The flash flood warning is in effect for north central Cocke County, southwest Greene County and southeast Hamblen County in East Tennessee. Some residents who stood in the way of the flood traveled to churches set up as shelters before the carnage, including Asbury United Methodist.

Michael Boutine, 26, of Morristown, went to church on Sept. 28 after he stopped receiving text messages from his father, David Boutine, who had decided not to vacate his home on Little Indian Creek Road in Greeneville. Although the house was removed, David Boutine actually lived at the shelter.

“All night I was just trying to figure out if they got him,” Michael said. “Everything’s gone, but he’s alive, so I don’t care about anything else.”

The Tennessee Valley Authority issued a dam breach warning overnight as a precaution, saying the lack of visibility and rising water made it difficult to assess the situation.

“Due to the extreme rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which is causing record river levels in the region, a breach is expected to occur at any time,” spokesman Scott Brooks said in a news release.

Just before 10 a.m. on Sept. 28, TVA posted on social media that the Nolichucky River had reached its crest and the dam was holding together.

“Our dam safety teams are in the process of assessing the condition of the dam to determine next steps,” TVA said. “We estimate the water level has reached 8 feet above the record high.”

At 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 27, TVA reported that water levels were receding at a rate of about one foot per hour. Crews on site are waiting for the water to recede enough to safely assess whether the dam is safe, TVA said in a news release.

TVA warned, “Potentially life-threatening flooding may occur downstream to Douglas Reservoir.” The reservoir is about 40 miles west of Nolichucky Dam and about six miles south of the intersection of Interstates 40 and 81.

People are urged to follow all evacuation instructions and never drive into flood waters.

Manley Baptist Church in Morristown also serves as a shelter and has a maximum capacity of 75 gym beds. Brent Sadler, American Red Cross shelter director, told Knox News that as of 9 a.m. Sept. 28, 13 people had traveled to the church to seek shelter – a mix of people from Cocke, Greene and Hamblen.

The Nolichucky Dam, eight miles southwest of Greeneville, was built in 1913 and is no longer a hydroelectric dam. This creates Davy Crockett Reservoir, a premier smallmouth bass fishing location.

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The Nolichucky River rises in North Carolina and flows into the French Broad River in East Tennessee. It is a premier whitewater rafting destination.

Hurricane Helene's extreme rainfall is finally making its way through rivers and dams, causing them to rise even though the rain has stopped.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration modeling, the Nolichucky River at Nolichucky Dam rose from 43.32 feet at 4 p.m. on September 25 to 62.57 feet at 10:15 p.m. on September 27. The measurements are qualified, meaning they are combined with local expertise and experience to arrive at real numbers.

“We were told if you don't have a helicopter, you can't get to the other side,” said Terry Greer, who is still cut off from his family on the south side of the water.

His 15-year-old son Trandon told Knox News he's worried about his “Papaw.” Many others are in a similar situation, including truck driver Bill Halterman, who turned back on his trip to New Jersey to check on his wife.

She is seven months pregnant and is on the other side of a bridge that Halterman said is cordoned off by law enforcement. Halterman, who served in the National Guard, said his frustration was growing.

“How many days can they go without water?” he said. “I was in the National Guard in Florida. … The Guard should have been here last night.”

President Joe Biden approved disaster relief for Tennessee on the morning of September 28th. The president's decision activates the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief and provides federal funding for “emergency response efforts,” a FEMA news release said.

The assistance is specifically aimed at Carter, Johnson and Unicoi counties. Governor Bill Lee declared a state of emergency and requested the funds.

On By John Fenwick

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