The Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) says that flooding is possible along the French Broad River in East Knox County, as the Tennessee Valley Authority continues to move excess floodwaters through the Douglas Dam in Sevier County.
Tennessee Valley Authority spokesperson Scott Brooks on Saturday said that the dam was releasing roughly 420,000 gallons of water per second.
“There is a potential for some localized flooding on the French Broad river down through Douglas Dam, going into Knoxville,” Brooks said. “Of course, that river will eventually empty into the Tennessee River.”
According to KEMA, water levels on the French Broad River downstream from Douglas Dam are expected to rise up to 2.5 feet over the next two to three days. Residents are urged to prepare for potential flooding, and the possibility of evacuation.
The TVA had previously issued an emergency announcement at around 12 a.m. on Saturday, urging residents who live near the Nolichucky River in Greeneville to evacuate, fearing that the waters contained by the Nolichucky Dam could cause widespread flooding in the area.
Brooks confirmed that the Nolichucky Dam was still intact and functioning normally, but that a breach had occurred, meaning water was running over the top of the dam wall.
“This morning we were able to put eyes on the dam, get a visual inspection, get drone footage, and we determined that the dam is in fact structurally intact.”
Water levels have risen on the Nolichucky River by more than 100% in the last 24 hours. Residents in the immediate area around the river are still under evacuation orders.
Several thousand households remain without power or access to safe drinking water in several counties throughout the state as of Saturday afternoon. The Greeneville Community Hospital announced that it is currently transferring all of its inpatients to medical facilities in Sullivan County, after the hospital depleted its water supply. BalladHealth, owner of the hospital, said in a press release that the hospital’s emergency room will remain open for local patients.
President Joe Biden has formally declared that a state of emergency exists in Tennessee, freeing up federal relief funds for impacted regions and mobilizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA Deputy Administrator Erick Hooks urges local residents to stay away from floodwaters in coming days.
“Even if the waters have appeared to recede, if you have not received confirmation from your trusted local officials that it is safe to go out there on the road, please do not do so,” Hooks said. “Stay out of the water. There are many hazards that exist in the water after a storm passes.”
