Smoky Mountain Homeplace II, 2025 by Mountain Times Publications

homeplace Smoky Mountain

1 year after Helene flooding ... stories of loss, recovery and triumph

This still image taken from a video from Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce shows a man being rescued in Newport by Newport Police Department and JCSO during the ﬂooding on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.

PHOTO BY BRIAN ALLARD

This aerial view shows ﬂooding from the Pigeon River in downtown Newport from the remnants of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, 2024.

PHOTO BY DALE BORING

A house is seen ﬂoating in the water in Del Rio due to ﬂooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

One year later

Stories of loss, recovery and triumph

It’s been a little more than a year since our community su ered the largest natural disaster anyone could recall. In fact one local resident referred to the ooding that hit us on Sept. 27, 2024 as a “5,000 year ood” a er hearing a previous ood referred to as a “1,000 year ood.” What might have been considered hyperbole at the time, soon proved to be rather accurate in terms of its historical impact.

From the rst moments when waters washed across Cocke County,

‘We

hitting Newport, particularly parts of its downtown, with an on-rushing wave of storm waters courtesy of the remnants of Hurricane Helene. It also ripped a devastating path through Del Rio and Hartford and elsewhere. Soon it was clear this was no simple gully washer.

While there were stories of tragedy, what ensued in the a ermath were also stories of recovery and triumph. ere was loss of life as Mike and Jean Obrist were casualties due to the ood. Our thoughts are still with them.

will rebuild’

Editor’s note: Cocke County Sheri C.J. Ball posted a heartfelt message on his Facebook page in the immediate a ermath of the ood and gave permission at that time to e Newport Plain Talk to share it as an open letter to the community.

Since disastrous ooding hit our area on Friday, Sept. 27, city, county, state and federal rst responders, volunteers, utility workers, highway departments, street departments, churches, nonpro ts, businesses, dispatchers, citizens, school systems, people that showed up at the EOC to volunteer, government, people supplying food and much much more, and community came together for one of the biggest disasters in our time.

e correction o cers had one tough job to evacuate 142 inmates and they did it in record time. ey didn’t hold back and kept going.

A lot of emotions have crossed our minds during this di cult time but

did not slow down the rescue e orts to save the lives of so many people in Cocke County.

From the swi waters to the debris slamming into the rst responders during those horrible days, they never slowed down and kept ghting. Watching and listening to the radio to hear their voices of concern when death may have been so close for all ... the intense moments of people trapped and calling for help, sitting on their cars and roof tops waiting to be rescued was such a sad moment.

Cocke County Sheri CJ Ball speaks with reporters about ooding from Hurricane Helene, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Newport. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

We have been so blessed from the support from multiple agencies throughout the state and other states. ey came into our county and became one of the biggest families

With this special edition of Smoky Mountain Homeplace, we look back through words and photos of the past year from the pages of e Newport Plain Talk, as we have weathered the storm and have come back even stronger in many regards.

Businesses have reopened, homes have been rebuilt and replaced and according to the most recent jobs report from the State of Tennessee, Cocke County has recovered to the point where a new monthly record was set in August in terms of the number of jobs in the county.

Within the rst 24 hours following the ooding, in a joint news conference of area leaders, Cocke County Sheri C.J. Ball reported there had already been more than 100 rescues.

It was just the start of many miraculous and heart touching moments that would follow.

Dave Ruthenberg Managing Editor e Newport Plain Talk

you could ever see. God will see our community through this and we will rebuild.

It is heartbreaking to see those that have lost their lives, homes, businesses and so much more. When you drive around the county and just see the damages that have taken place, it just

MOUNTAIN STRONG

causes you to cry. anks to everyone that has helped and shown their love for our community in this desperate time of need.

Let’s continue to be here for one another and li each other up and PLEASE continue to pray for all.

#COCKECOUNYYSTRONG.

Flood response was the true heart of the community

ree months a er the ood struck, Newport Plain Talk Managing Editor Dave Ruthenberg penned this column for e Plain Talk of the community’s early, quick response. It has been slightly updated.

When 2024 rst arrived, I had an idea to make a year-end award honoring an area citizen as the “Heart of the Community.” It’s something we started shortly a er I arrived where we wrote about the good deeds of those who otherwise may not have been well-known but deserved to be acknowledged in our occasional “Heart of the Community” series. Over the past couple of years, we have had the good

fortune to share stories of many such folks.

en the ood hit us in September and the resulting response from our area’s citizens, leaders and others made it clear that the “Heart of the Community” was, well, the entire community. It was impossible to single out any single person or entity for our planned yearend award.

While the devastation from the ooding was overwhelming and is still reverberating for many in our community, it is inconceivable we could have recovered to the extent we

have without such caring, action and kindness.

Flooding destroyed homes, overwhelmed dams, collapsed highways and toppled bridges. It le the Newport Police Department building unstable and unusable. e Cocke County Jail Annex also was destroyed.

In the rst moments of the ood threat that tore through Cocke County and reached portions of downtown Newport, the community, and those beyond our county, didn’t hesitate to mobilize.

From the timely warnings from the Cocke County Emergency Management

Agency through its director, Joe Esway, whose department’s e orts were instrumental in saving lives, the groundwork was laid for a path that we were to see repeatedly. One of sel essness that seemed to reverberate and resonate throughout our citizens.

Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis took to Facebook to post frequent live updates that were invaluable, providing timely information about what was being done and where resources were available for citizens, from basics like safe drinking water, emergency shelter and aid

Cocke County Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Esway addresses the media during a press conference Sept. 28, 2024, in Newport. Cocke County Sheri C.J. Ball is on the left and Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis is on the right. Area leaders updated the media on rescue and recovery e orts.

Sadly, the ﬂood also resulted in loss of life. When record ﬂoodwaters forced the Nolichucky River beyond its banks, Jean and Mike Obrist evacuated together, but did not survive.

AP PHOTO/WADE PAYNE

Cocke County Sheri CJ Ball speaks with reporters about ﬂooding from Hurricane Helene, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Newport.

assistance. Mathis’ updates were like a cyber-age version of FDR’s reassuring reside chats to a nervous nation nearly a century ago.

Our emergency responders, from the Cocke County Sheri ’s O ce, Newport Police and Fire Departments, Cocke County Fire Department, Newport Rescue Squad, Swi Water Rescue Team, community volunteer re departments and many others that came from beyond Cocke County (Tennessee Highway Patrol, Sevier County, etc.) not only performed heroically in saving lives, but provided reassurance to a suddenly shaken community.

Beyond the immediacy of the destruction, and the potential for loss of life, was the loss of water, which was certainly a bit tragically ironic.

While many have had issues with Newport Utilities over various matters, there can be no doubt NU responded with immediacy to the loss of water due to a break in the water treatment transmission line because of the ooding, which resulted in NU being unable to supply treated water. NU early on warned it could be weeks before

water service was restored. However, in the manner of about one week, safe water ow was restored in an all-handson-deck Herculean e ort. Well done, Newport Utilities.

While water was interrupted, the community was provided with bottled water and other supplies distributed free. e sight of cars lined up on US 25/70 (Broadway) going to pick up the muchneeded supplies and the compassion shown by those doing the heavy li ing to place the supplies in vehicles, was beyond inspiring. ank you to all of those involved.

Private businesses from here to Morristown o ered free shower facilities and private businesses not only provided, but delivered, non-potable water to residents. Others provided buckets for the non-potable water free of charge.

Churches and charities responded by providing supplies, comfort and reassurance at a time when such was so needed. Food trucks showed up across Newport and Cocke County providing free, hot food.

Dolly Parton demonstrated again why she is such a Tennessee treasure,

personally donating $1 million to ood relief e orts and announced, in the parking lot of Walmart in Newport, a joint e ort with Walmart to provide further relief funds.

e Mountain Strong fund through the Cocke County Partnership has raised $1.4 million to date.

It is impossible to recognize everybody and everything in the space a orded here, but even if your name isn’t

speci cally mentioned here, we saw you. We appreciate you and we prayed with you.

I now fully understand the phrase “Mountain Strong” as we at e Newport Plain Talk watched these events unfold, reported and shared photos of the devastation, the a ermath, the heroism and the utter sel essness displayed. e true heart of our community beats stronger thanks to all of us.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

A delivery of hay from Claiborne County awaits departure from Wilson Livestock Market in Newport on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, as part of “Farmers Helping Farmers,” an example of assistance provided to Cocke County residents by neighboring communities.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

Cars lined up o West Broadway (US25/70) in downtown Newport were a common sight for several days following the ﬂood as residents received critical supplies, such as bottled water distributed by volunteers.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

First responders gather at a helicopter Sept. 28, 2024 at the A&I Fairgrounds in Newport as multiple agencies responded to the ﬂooding in Cocke County and supported local e orts.

Critical moments

Catastrophic flooding rips through county

By KATHY BARNES

COCKE COUNTY - All three rivers that pass through Cocke County reached record ood stages on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, causing catastrophic ooding throughout the county.

Cocke County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) responded to multiple calls for help on Friday morning performing river rescues throughout Hartford, Del Rio and Edwina.

Both the Pigeon River and the French Broad River over owed, covering roads, covering bridges and taking homes, buildings and vehicles in the path of water.

e Hartford exit o Interstate 40 ooded, and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) photos showed water standing several feet high at the Pigeon River Smokehouse and the adjoining BP station.

A er North Carolina o cials noti ed Cocke County o cials that I-40 had collapsed across the North Carolina state line, tra c was rerouted because of the interstate closure. North Carolina transportation o cials have said that most likely the interstate at the state line will “not reopen for months.”

Downtown Newport was evacuated Friday a ernoon. Shortly a er that evacuation the downtown streets lled with water. Minutes a er the evacuation, emergency responders from adjoining counties could be seen exiting the interstate and heading into Newport to help. Many rescue vehicles were pulling boats for water rescues.

Initially residents were told via text message and Facebook post there was a catastrophic failure at the Walters Dam in Waterville, but later, that was retracted and the announcement was made that it was only a breach. Duke Energy, however, has said there was no breach and the dam worked as it should.

e Pigeon River over owed its banks and led to closure of the bridge going into Northport. e bridge at the intersection of Highway 160 and Highway 340 closed because of ooding, blocking o the Northport community.

e water ooded around the police department, city hall and the annex before crossing the railroad tracks and ooding Main Street and Broadway. Many downtown businesses su ered

severe damage. e bridge from Newport to Bridgeport was also closed because of ooding and the train trestle on the edge of town su ered severe damage.

Helicopters were brought in for rescues because there were places where the water was too rough for a boat to reach the homes and access those who were trapped.

e Highway 160-340 bridge, Bridgeport bridge and Northport bridge were all inspected and reopened.

Later that Friday, concerns developed about the Nolichucky River. e Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) issued a code yellow for the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County, saying it was approaching its threshold to withstand excessive ood water, which required immediate action. Later that evening, they went to code red and said an imminent breach could occur at any time and that life-threatening ooding could occur as far downstream as Douglas Lake.

e concerns about the Nolichucky Dam led to evacuations in Greene, Cocke and Hamblen counties. In Cocke County, it led to evacuations in Point Pleasant, Centerview and Bybee. A shelter for those evacuated was set up at Centerview Elementary School.

Rising waters covered the Highway 160 bridge at the Hamblen-Cocke County line. Water crossed Spencer

Hale Road at the Cocke CountyHamblen County line and overtook the bridge, washing away chunks of pavement on the Hamblen County side of the bridge.

e waters reached up to Point Pleasant Road, and many lifelong residents commented they had never seen the Nolichucky River waters reach that far.

Livestock were reported missing in the Bybee and Centerview

communities as well. Both Hale Bridge and the Highway 160 bridge have been inspected and reopened.

CLEAN-UP

Clean-up started throughout the county as soon as the waters receded. Downtown Newport businesses were lling dumpsters with water damaged items. Some businesses returned to

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The building that housed Tip Brown’s casket and insurance business o East Main Street in Newport was destroyed by the ﬂooding.

nd the water broke out windows and doors.

Volunteers stepped up to lend a helping hand and assist with cleaning up downtown as well as other communities throughout the county.

Volunteers came from areas that did not su er from the wrath of Hurricane Helene. ere were food trucks o ering free meals, donations of water and supplies and people working to ensure those throughout the county can access drinking water and other necessities.

CLOSURES

Both the county and city school system closed for the entire week of Sept. 30 through Oct. 4.

Many businesses are closed because of the ood recovery and because of the lack of water.

EVENTS CANCELED

Paint the Town Pink, e Newport Harvest Street Festival and Parrottsville Heritage Days were all canceled in 2024 a er the ood.

• Cardiolog

• Diagnosti Imaging (

• Emergenc Care

• Gastro nt rolog

• G n ral Surger

• Inpatient Rehabilitation S r ices/Ph sical herap

•

• Neurology •

•

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

The rafting community in Hartford had to rebuild after the ﬂooding. This shows debris lining the Pigeon River in the days after the ﬂood.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Debris is shown littering the riverwalk in downtown Newport behind Newport City Hall.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

A safe is shown on the ground near Tip Brown’s insurance building in Newport. The building was torn apart and items from it were strewn outside or into the river.

DOWNTOWN destruction and cleanup

A walk in downtown Newport along East Broadway on Saturday, Sept. 28 provided a jolting reminder of the power of over owing water. Several businesses su ered signi cant damage from ooding on Friday and started the arduous cleanup process.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

Resurrection Boxing Club on East Broadway shows extensive damage the building received during ﬂooding in downtown Newport.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

This Sept. 28. 2024, photo shows Fruit Jar Alley on East Broadway in Newport in the immediate aftermath of ﬂooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

The business o ce shared by The Creamery on Broadway and Snowbird Mountain Co ee is seen in the aftermath of ﬂooding in downtown Newport.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

Sandbags in front of Flatwoods Vintage Antiques & Retro on East Broadway in Newport.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

Beck Manes shovels debris from the front of Smith Manes Tax on East Broadway Saturday, Sept. 27 in Newport. Damage was caused by ﬂooding on Friday.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

A front loader on cleanup duty on East Broadway in Newport on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.

Downtown businesses

REBUILD AFTER FLOOD

By JAKE NICHOLS

Editor’s note: is story originally appeared in e Newport Plain Talk on Oct. 16, 2024.

On Sept. 28, 2024, Justin Dube walked toward water that had ooded the streets of downtown Newport.

As the Resurrection Boxing Gym owner surveyed the damage le by remnants of Hurricane Helene, he delivered a tting phrase to fellow downtown business owner Aaron McMahan: “Roll with the punches.” at phrase encapsulates the manner in which several downtown businesses have had to operate in the last two weeks, as they have torn down parts of their shops and venues to rebuild from water damage.

e over ow — approximately four feet, by Dube’s estimation — ran so high that only the tops of folding chairs beside the boxing ring were visible, and discarded pieces of wood oated throughout the room.

All this is without even factoring in the gym’s windows, which were knocked out from the ooding that wreaked havoc throughout downtown.

Just down the sidewalk from Dube’s gym, Fruit Jar Alley manager Taylor Denton said she walked in the morning a er the oods to nd total devastation in the popular downtown boutique.

“When we heard we would have some ooding, we moved some stu back,” she said. “We gured we would get a little water in, because the storm drains are bad right here. But we didn’t think it would be as bad as it was. We moved stu to the back, and

it still got ruined.

“It was just kind of a ‘wow’ moment, because everything was destroyed.”

So decimated was the store that glass items that had been for sale were seen oating in the water past Flowers by Wilma, which sits 400 feet east of the Fruit Jar Alley front door on East Broadway.

Denton said they are still trying to calculate the total amount of damage, but she estimates that “close to 50% of the inventory” was destroyed. at includes 16 large trash bags of clothing, which they hauled o to wash so that they could be used for donations.

It also includes 11 trees in their back room, which had already been transformed into a winter wonderland in anticipation for this year’s Christmas theme.

But now their remaining Christmas

PHOTO BY JAKE NICHOLS

A look at the inside of the Resurrection Boxing Gym, which is one of several businesses in downtown Newport that have seen considerable repairs after the remnants of Hurricane Helene swept through the area.

Dolly Parton

her businesses and Walmart donate millions

By JAKE NICHOLS

Editor’s note: is story originally appeared in e Newport Plain Talk on Oct. 16, 2024.

On Sept. 28, 2024, Justin Dube walked toward water that had ooded the streets of downtown Newport.

Dube said he estimates that he su ered “close to $50,000 worth of damage” in the oods, which brought water within a foot of the punching bags that hang inside Dube’s gym on East Broadway in downtown Newport. e over ow — approximately four feet, by Dube’s estimation — ran so high that only the tops of folding chairs beside the boxing ring were visible, and discarded pieces of wood oated throughout the room.

All this is without even factoring in the gym’s windows, which were knocked out from the ooding that wreaked havoc throughout downtown.

Just down the sidewalk from Dube’s gym, Fruit Jar Alley manager Taylor Denton said she walked in the morning a er the oods to nd total devastation in the popular downtown boutique.

“It was just kind of a ‘wow’ moment, because everything was destroyed.”

So decimated was the store that glass items that had been for sale were seen oating in the water past Flowers by Wilma, which sits 400 feet east of the Fruit Jar Alley front door on East Broadway.

Denton said they are still trying to calculate the total amount of damage, but she estimates that “close to 50% of the inventory” was destroyed.

at includes 16 large trash bags of clothing, which they hauled o to

wash so that they could be used for donations.

It also includes 11 trees in their back room, which had already been transformed into a winter wonderland in anticipation for this year’s Christmas theme.

But now their remaining Christmas decorations — several of which were brought from upstairs — have been moved up front to replace the fall decor that was previously there.

Even their les were damaged from the ooding, as water lled the cabinets to the point that they could not be opened once the oods receded.

Aside from the wreckage in the store, the tax o ce, Smith Manes Tax, that sits in the same building was damaged even more.

Denton does work in both businesses, so the weight of the wreckage took even more of a toll.

“It was all a shock,” she said. “When they started taking my personal stu out, that made it more real.”

e only thing she was able to save from her own o ce was a small vase with a ower formed by the painted hands of her 2-year-old son.

e repair work on each building has been arduous, with Fruit Jar Alley reopening last week.

Meanwhile, Dube noted that his boxers did not miss as much as one practice, thanks to the quick repair work done over the weekend a er the ooding.

Roscoe’s Treasures on Main Street is another store that has seen damage from the oods, as owner Dee Webber went to survey everything the day a er the ood.

She said the roof was leaking, but it was no small drip.

“When we went upstairs, it was like it was raining inside,” she said. “Water sat on the roof because the ood waters were not letting it drain.”

She said the roof repair will cost about $100,000, and that’s without even factoring in everything she lost inside the store.

“I lost a lot of things in the back and a whole trailer load of furniture,” she said. “I’m just glad vendors’ things were saved. Sand bagging and plastic on doors saved us.”

Just as the boxing gym and Fruit Jar Alley have reopened, Roscoe’s has as well..

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner and Dolly Parton announced considerable donations to the Hurricane Helene ﬂood relief e orts on Friday. Furner, at left, is shown shaking Dolly’s hand.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Dolly Parton spoke in the parking lot of Walmart in Newport on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.

From REBUILD | 7

decorations — several of which were brought from upstairs — have been moved up front to replace the fall decor that was previously there.

Even their les were damaged from the ooding, as water lled the cabinets to the point that they could not be opened once the oods receded.

Aside from the wreckage in the store, the tax o ce, Smith Manes Tax, that sits in the same building was damaged even more.

Denton does work in both businesses, so the weight of the wreckage took even more of a toll.

“It was all a shock,” she said. “When they started taking my personal stu out, that made it more real.”

e only thing she was able to save from her own o ce was a small vase with a ower formed by the painted hands of her 2-yearold son.

e repair work on each building has been arduous, with Fruit Jar Alley

reopening last week.

Meanwhile, Dube noted that his boxers did not miss as much as one practice, thanks to the quick repair work done over the weekend a er the ooding.

Roscoe’s Treasures on Main Street is another store that has seen damage from the oods, as owner Dee Webber went to survey everything the day a er the ood.

She said the roof was leaking, but it was no small drip.

“When we went upstairs, it was like it was raining inside,” she said. “Water sat on the roof because the ood waters were not letting it drain.”

She said the roof repair will cost about $100,000, and that’s without even factoring in everything she lost inside the store.

“I lost a lot of things in the back and a whole trailer load of furniture,” she said.

“I’m just glad vendors’ things were saved. Sand bagging and plastic on doors saved us.”

Just as the boxing gym and Fruit Jar Alley have reopened, Roscoe’s has as well.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

Fruit Jar Alley on East Broadway in downtown Newport has made progress making repairs from damages su ered from ﬂooding due to the remnants of Hurricane Helene. The business, like several others in the downtown area, has since reopened.

PHOTO VIA REP. JEREMY FAISON FACEBOOK

Gov. Bill Lee (second from right) meets with Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis (left), Cocke County Fire Chief Cody Keys (second from left) and Cocke County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) Director Joe Esway (far right) at the CCEMA Operations Center Oct. 2, 2024, in Newport to discuss ﬂooding from Hurricane Helene.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOD’S PIT CREW

Janet Sams holds the keys to her new home o River Street. God’s Pit Crew built the home after her home was destroyed in the ﬂooding.

Local officers save 24 lives with

Helecopter Rescues

By JAKE NICHOLS

NEWPORT — When Dan Williams signed up for the United States Marine Corps, then became a police o cer, he knew he was willing to put himself in harm’s way for others.

Still, he never could have imagined that such harm would come to the Cocke County community in the way it did on Sept. 27, 2024.

Remnants from Hurricane Helene brought oods that destroyed homes and businesses across the county, leaving several people stranded in the process.

Williams — a Cocke County school resource o cer — and his Cosby counterpart, Danny Ray Reece, jumped into action, along with several other rst responders.

And by the time that fateful Friday night turned into Saturday, both had experienced the kind of helicopter ride that they never want to endure again.

“I hope we don’t have to go through that again,” said Reece. “But I wouldn’t change anything. I’d do the same thing.”

‘Happened to be there’

In 2020, Cocke County Emergency Management Agency director Joe Esway established the county’s rst swi water rescue team.

Williams was one of the original eight members on the team, and Reece — who is a certi ed diver — joined the dive team this year while also training to help the swi water team.

“ ey asked me to come on because they were starting a dive team, and I’ve been certi ed as a diver,” Reece said.

deal with,” said Williams.

When they were noti ed about people trapped on top of a shipping container because of the water, they drove down a road in Edwina to determine how to extricate everyone.

Upon arrival, they heard an ominous buzzing sound every so o en — the sound of transformers falling in, and the ensuing electrical current zipping through the water.

Up here in the mountains, you don’t think ﬂooding is a thing. But when that river started surging, it actually carved a new path in a lot of places. – Dan Williams

“But I told them I want to go through the training that the swi water guys go through. at way I would know what their job is, as like a backup.”

at training has paid o throughout the cleanup process, but it was almost an essential part of that rst day of rescues.

“We’ve had plenty of river rescues and cars in the river, but this by far was more than anything we’ve had to

“So we said, ‘You better turn the power grid o before we get in here,” Reese said.

“And we were about to do it anyway until we heard the message that the dam was starting to fail,” added Williams.

“We could actually see the water level rising. So we were barely able to get packed up and o the road before it was underwater.”

When they got back to the emergency operations control center, the Knox County Sheri Department’s helicopter had landed, ready to be put to use.

“And we just happened to be there,” Reece said. “Director Esway said he needed us on the helicopter to see how we could get help to these people.”

So they strapped on and rechecked their gear — a life vest, a throw bag with a rope, a helmet, a knee-length wetsuit and special boots — and hopped into the helicopter.

‘Go ahead and get them’

Once they were in the air, Williams and Reece called an audible from the original plan of action.

“(Esway) originally wanted us to go on a helicopter to nd where people were stranded and see what we could put together on guring out ways to get resources to them and get people there to help,” said Williams. “But we made the decision when we were up there that we were already there — let’s go ahead and get them. And it went from there.”

e rst place they went was that shipping container in Edwina, where approximately 18 people were huddling on top with water rising quickly.

But when they came closer, they realized a crucial problem.

“ ere was nowhere for it to land,” said Williams. “It was pretty much a lake. e water was almost to the top of the container, and there was nowhere to put the helicopter down.” e only option was to hover close enough to the container that Williams could jump out onto it and load people up from there.

“Got to give those pilots credit,” said Williams. “ ey kept that bird hovered there as steady as they could get it.” ey loaded people four or ve at a time to take them to the fairgrounds, hearing di erent responses as people clambered into the chopper.

“A lot of them were very appreciative,” said Reece. “Some were scared to death. One lady, she told me she was really scared. And I said, ‘You ought to be, with that oodwater.’

“She said, ‘No, I’ve never own in a helicopter.’ So I said, ‘Well don’t worry, we haven’t either.’”

PHOTO COURTESY JOE ESWAY

Danny Ray Reece (left )and Dan Williams (right) saved 24 lives on Sept. 27, 2024,, as they went out on a helicopter rescue that ventured into some of the most destroyed parts of Cocke County.

e comment brought a bit of humor, just enough to ease the tense nature of a situation made even worse by the sight of debris and pesticide containers oating around.

“She said, ‘Well I guess I’m glad I’m with you,’” Reece re ected with a smile.

A er the helicopter had made a few trips to the fairgrounds to drop people o , the pilot informed Williams and Reece that the helicopter was low on fuel.

“But we didn’t want to just stop,” they said. “ ere were still lots of people le .” at brought them to Denton, where they spotted a group huddled close together in a grassy spot above the water. is time, there was enough room to land.

So they li ed people to safety once more, and the helicopter took them to I-40 as opposed to the fairgrounds to avoid burning more fuel.

ere, they hopped into police cars that were stationed near the interstate closure and transported to safety.

When the helicopter returned to pick up more people, night had long since fallen over the murky waters.

“Because it was so dark, we turned on our ashing lights on our life vests,” said Williams. “We stood apart and gave the pilots a runway, if you will, every time they came back.

“We loaded people up and they would take them to the interstate. en we would run back to our spot and stand so they knew where to land again.”

In total, they wound up saving 24 lives that night.

And when the helicopter took Williams and Reece back to the emergency center, they were far from done.

ey cleaned o military vehicles, prepared ra s, and found other ways to contribute — including boat rescues and hooking chains into trees for cleanup once the water receded enough.

ey worked from Friday evening into Sunday, stretching that hour and 40 minutes in the helicopter into one long 24-hour period of helping.

“It felt like a whole weekend,” said Williams, “but it was just one long day.”

Now that they have had time to re ect, Williams and Reece noted the extreme nature of the way everything unfolded.

“You don’t think that’s going to happen in this area,” said Williams. “You think of ooding and hurricanes, and you think of Florida.

“Up here in the mountains, you don’t think ooding is a thing. But when that river started surging, it actually carved a new path in a lot of places.”

Even with the unique nature of the ooding, though, both men were emphatic that they did what had to be done — and that they were far from

the only ones contributing.

“You don’t think about yourself,” said Williams. “Just what can be done next. It’s not until a er when you realize your shoulder is killing you or whatever else.”

“You had citizens doing just as much or more than we did,” added Reece. “We just happened to be there when the helicopter landed, and he said, ‘You two.’

“We didn’t do anything someone else wouldn’t have done. It was amazing, the way everyone came together to help that many people.”

A bird’s eye view of the ﬂooding in Edwina, courtesy of a photo taken from a video ﬁlmed by Danny Ray Reece.

Flood Survivor

returns home after one year

By KATHY BARNES

NEWPORT — When the ood waters rose on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, 80-year-old Sheila Creveling swam through the raging waters of the French Broad River to reach safety.

Her life — like the lives of many others — was forever changed that day.

Her home of 19 years was destroyed, she lost many items with sentimental value and her beloved dog, Biscuit, jumped from her arms and drowned. Creveling also had to be hospitalized for what doctors believed was a heart attack.

A year later — on Sept. 29, 2025 — she returned home.

“I am very grateful for everyone who played a part in this,” she said. “I just don’t know where to begin. I cannot say ‘thank you’ enough to everyone who has been involved in getting me back home.”

While her home was destroyed, she was able to salvage a few mementos.

Just days a er the ood, she was si ing through the muddy rubble of her home and pulling out everything she thought she could salvage.

Someone had broken a window at the end of her home, she explained, and she would climb through it and enter the house to pull out what she could.

She said her neighbors Rodney and Amy Shrader and their son, Yalija Ball, were instrumental in helping her.

Creveling would hand things out the window to Amy and Rodney and Yalija would help clean them. e Shraders took the time to help her despite losing their own home in the ood.

“Rodney even scooped out a path for

me in the mud,” she explained. She was able to save many of her prized possessions, including many of

“He was my hero,” she said smiling. “He was a wonderful man and a wonderful father.”

father’s military medals.

Creveling’s husband, Jan Sies, served two years in the U.S. Navy.

In the days a er the ood, she found his cremains, and was able to dry them out.

“I loved my husband dearly, and I miss him so much,” she said. “I am de nitely from a Navy family.”

She was given a tiny home by an anonymous donor, and thanks to the e orts of many volunteers and organizations, she said, she now occupies that home.

A er acquiring an elevation certi cate, it was determined the home had to be elevated slightly over 9 feet. e home was set on blocks, which enabled her to have a basement underneath.

“I am so thankful to the church from

Illinois that helped by building the ramp up to my front door,” she said.

She has had back surgery, hip replacement and knee replacement. She said she would not be able to climb steps to get into her home.

“I am so thankful to everyone for all they have done. I apologize if I leave someone out or don’t remember someone’s name,” she added.

A neighbor found the body of her dog, Biscuit, and returned him home, burying him in her front yard.

“Getting Biscuit buried back here at home did help. e nightmares stopped,” she said.

Annita Rowland saw the article about Creveling’s experience in e Newport Plain Talk and went searching for a dog for Creveling.

Donna Dunn, a local dog breeder, had a litter of poodles born on Sept. 7, 2024. She saw the post Rowland had made on Facebook about the search for the dog for Creveling.

Dunn gave a pup to Creveling, and that gi has brought Creveling several months of joy.

“ ese pups were named a er British royalty,” she explained. “I have Sir Spencer. He is now Sir Spencer of Newport.”

Right a er the ood, Creveling had said she would return home and planned on staying on her property until she died.

“I am back home and I am happy to be here,” she said.

her

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Sheila Creveling is shown in front of her new elevated tiny home. It is set on the site where her old home was prior to the ﬂood.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Sheila Creveling’s house was a total loss after the French Broad River ﬂooded.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Sheila Creveling is shown looking o the deck o her new tiny home. She said she is thankful for her new home.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Sheila Creveling is shown with her dog, Spencer, in her new tiny home. She lost her home during the ﬂood in September 2024.

‘It’s a family’

Grill 73 welcomes customers back after reopening

By JAKE NICHOLS

NEWPORT — For Oleg and Valentina Ryzhkov, their beloved Grill 73 has not just brought them business. It has brought customers that the owners consider to be family.

Over the last year, through Hurricane Helene and its a ermath, that bond has been proven time and time again through patrons and volunteers alike.

And now, almost two months since the reopening and just under a year since the ood, the beloved RussianAmerican restaurant is doing better than ever.

But to reach this point, the Ryzhkovs had to endure some acrobatics — literally and guratively.

Together, the couple performed in circuses around the world — Valentina with horse tricks, Oleg with acrobatics. ey also formed a trapeze trio with his brother and wound up in Sweden, Italy and several other countries too. at eventually led them to a contract with a group in New York City, as they traveled around the United States in managerial roles a er years spent performing.

ey found Newport a er traveling near the area on I-40.

Having stayed several times at the Triple Creek Campground in Cosby, they purchased their current property

on Highway 73 and settled down for good.

“We cleaned it up before we knew what this would be,” Valentina said. “Logs, trash, everything. You couldn’t even see the river because of the trees.”

But a er the property had been cleared, they woke up one day and came to a realization: “People are hungry. Let’s just feed them.”

ey began building in 2008, and three years later, opened the restaurant that sits a stone’s throw from the Pigeon River.

It has since lasted another 14 years, as the Ryzhkovs o er multiple cuisines.

ey serve Russian staples such as pelmeni (small, meat- lled dumplings), borscht (a hearty, sour soup originating from Central and Eastern Europe) and chicken sauté — a dish with the original name of plov that can be compared to rice pilaf with chicken.

But as popular as these dishes are, other people come just for cheesesteaks, pork loin subs or one of their bestsellers, beef strogano .

Church groups call ahead and ask about specials, and several people who have come for more than a decade bring their children.

“We feel like we’re Grandma and Grandpa, when they bring their kids in now,” Valentina said. “It’s like, ‘wow.’

It really makes you happy.”

Because the restaurant is run solely by the couple, they close from late December through Feb. 1 in the winter and again for a couple months in the summer once tourist season dies down.

Also, the restaurant is only open four days a week — ursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

But when Helene arrived, it brought a break that lasted much longer than the Ryzhkovs or any other Cocke Countians would have liked.

“We spent 24 hours on top of the hill and watched as it was happening,” recalled Oleg. “When I came down here, I couldn’t get into the restaurant because there was so much mud and gravel in front of it.”

Once they did make it inside, they saw a nightmare: standing water,

damage from roof to oor, and dirtcaked equipment that wound up being stacked outside in the kitchen version of a cemetery.

Immediately, the couple looked at one another and wondered whether they would ever reopen.

Only when volunteers made their way into Cocke County and began to help did the owners begin to believe it was possible.

One church group in particular brought siding, painted and even changed the lighting and electrical outlets.

“If not for those people, we would have never reopened this business,” Valentina said. “Never. ey bought almost 90% of the restaurant equipment, because everything was gone.

PHOTO BY JAKE NICHOLS

Grill 73 owners Valentina and Oleg Ryshkov smile for a photo in front of their restaurant, located at 616 Highway 73 in Newport. The restaurant reopened in late July after being closed for 10 months after Hurricane Helene swept through Cocke County last September.

By KATHY BARNES

New and improved

Trestle replaced as rail line recovers

Editor’s note: Repair of the Eastport rail trestle has been completed subsequent to this March 4, 2025 story. e rail passage has been reopened and rail tra c has resumed.

NEWPORT — e ongoing repairs to the Norfolk Southern rail line through Newport have progressed with the replacement of the trestle at Eastport. e original trestle, built in 1917, collapsed into the Pigeon River about a month a er the catastrophic ooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

e new trestle is being installed in three segments. Each segment is 100 feet long and weighs 285,000 pounds. It takes several hours for crews to assemble each segment, which arrives in several pieces. Each steel segment is hauled by a semi. Several crew members, with the help of a crane and other equipment, connect the pieces together to form the segment that is placed on top of the concrete supports.

A er the segment is put together, the railroad ties are placed on top of it. e center section was placed rst. A er that center segment was set on Tuesday, a second segment was set on Wednesday. Crews hoped to have the third segment in place no later than Friday.

“Getting this done today is really critical for us to be able to nish up the rest of the work so that we can get our line back up and running and get service back to the businesses that rely on us in this area,” Norfolk Southern Senior Communications Manager Heather Garcia said Wednesday.

A crew of 30 to 40 men worked to get the segments ready then to place them. A er all segments have been set, Garcia said the railroad track will be laid across the new trestle. e trestle will then be tested. She explained trucks are driven across the trestle and in some cases, test trains are used to ensure that everything will do its job properly.

e AS-Line runs between Morristown, TN, and Salisbury, N.C. e section of railroad between Newport and Grovestone, N.C., has been out of service since the ood. When the Pigeon River reached record ood stages, all kinds of debris became caught in the steel beams underneath the old trestle. Even a camper was seen hanging from underneath. A Walmart trailer could be seen on the riverbank just past the trestle. e trestle nally gave way to the excess weight and

collapsed in late October.

ere was extensive damage to the railroad through Del Rio, and especially along Fugate Road. When looking throughout the area where ooding took place, the railway reported more than 21,500 feet of track washed out. More than 50,000 feet of track was damaged by scour, a type of erosion that occurs when water removes material from the bed and banks of a channel or from around the foundations of structures. Workers found more than 15,000 feet of ll failures and slides as well as

See TRESTLE | 15

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

This Nov. 2, 2024, aerial photo provided by Andrew Scarberry of Old Glory Aerial Productions provides a dramatic, overhead perspective of the damage that occurred to the train trestle at the east end of Newport. The trestle collapsed Oct. 22 after having been previously damaged in the ﬂooding caused by Hurricane Helene.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Workers are shown getting ready for another segment of the train trestle to be placed over the Pigeon River in Eastport. The old trestle, built in 1917, collapsed after the ﬂood.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

This 2022 photo shows the Eastport railroad trestle before it was destroyed by the 2024 ﬂood.

multiple damaged bridges. Hundreds of workers were sent out to work on repairing the rail line a er the ood.

Garcia said the AS-Line is a secondary line. She said when the line reopens at the end of the month she expects there will be 10 to 15 trains per day passing through Newport.

“A lot of businesses depend on this line to receive shipments or to send shipments,” she said.

Discussing the new trestle, Garcia said that it is built to last. It does not have the beams underneath where debris could become trapped. It also has concrete pillars and steel segments. Comparing it to the old

trestle that was destroyed, she said it may not be as attractive, but advances in engineering were put to use.

She explained trestles were expected to last 100 years, and the one that fell had exceeded that timeframe.

Discussing the historic ooding that Cocke County experienced last September, Garcia said she would hope the new trestle could withstand a similar situation, but she said, there is no way to guarantee it could withstand ooding that severe.

Dozens of railroad workers have been working throughout the county since the ood. Garcia said they have worked long hours to ensure the line could reopen as soon as possible.

“ e freezers, refrigerators, icemaker, meat slicers, everything. And two days before it happened, I had made an order for $2,000 worth of food. Gone. We did not expect that much and did not think it was possible to have that much help. ey just kept working.”

Looking back through her photos of the wreckage, Valentina o ered one last glimpse into the horror with a three-sentence summary: “It is a memory, but not a good one. But we are still alive. We did not give up.”

And because of that persistence and the help of more than 200 volunteers, Grill 73 reopened on July 31, 2025.

e Ryzhkovs prepared for a month before, then sold out of everything their rst day when 200 eager customers came through the doors.

“And for us, 30 is a lot,” Oleg cracked with a grin. “ ey try to kill us.”

“Our regular customers, they see what’s going on,” Valentina added of their reopening. “ ey clean tables, do dishes, take care of drinks for people. It’s a family.”

e restaurant’s push toward reopening was covered by multiple television stations in Knoxville.

Now, people from across the area have come to sample the cuisine, looking to be a part of the warm atmosphere that has lasted through tragedy.

From FAMILY | 13

PHOTO BY JAKE NICHOLS

These Russian stack dolls are visible on a small table inside Grill 73, giving patrons a glimpse at the heritage within the restaurant that has existed since 2011.

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

Norfolk Southern Senior Communications Manager Heather Garcia points to where crews were working to assemble a section of trestle. The trestle at Eastport has been replaced in three sections.

From TRESTLE | 14

‘Sometimes angels show up in a van…’

By KATHY BARNES

NEWPORT — When the remnants of Hurricane Helene led to ooding throughout Cocke County, many animals were displaced. e generosity of those willing to lend a helping hand didn’t leave out the animals.

e Humane Society of the United States, based in Washington, D.C., contacted Smoky Mountain Humane Society (SMHS) and asked how they could help. SMHS Board President Ali Chiaradio said, “We were already over capacity and were in fear that we couldn’t help displaced animals because of the lack of space.”

e Humane Society of the United States immediately dispatched two vans to Newport. ey took 16 dogs and three cats from SMHS, 16 dogs (including one which was pregnant) from county animal control and eight dogs from the Newport City Animal Shelter. All of the animals were transported to no-kill rescues.

“Because of our partnership with this incredible and professional animal loving organization, we were able to make space for animals in all three locations in Cocke County,” a SMHS Facebook post stated. “Sometimes angels show up in a van with trucks following.”

According to Cocke County Sheri C.J. Ball, county animal control was

le with only four dogs and those were kept because they were courtordered holds.

“We are once again at capacity,” Chiaradio said. “We are moving animals in and out because there are adoptions taking place. We are trying to be available to help animals that were displaced by the ooding. ere are some great pets that have remained unclaimed a er the ooding.”

Several other donors have stepped up and contributed nancially or given supplies to SMHS since the ooding.

Blount County Animal Center o ered assistance to the SMHS by bringing blankets, dog food, cat food, ea medications, medical advice and more to help SMHS and the community. State Farm Agent Eric Varner, the employees and customers of First Franklin, Appalachian Automation, TJCTV, Rural Medical Services and the SMHS membership all went a step above and beyond to o er assistance to SMHS during a challenging time.

“ ere are countless heroes who donated to SMHS during the ood in various ways, and we’re grateful for each and every one of them. We’re thankful for the support of Jeremy Faison and a generous gentleman who rented a trailer to drive from Nashville

Eric Varner -State Farm InsuranceAgent

to deliver pallets of water and dogcat food in the dark, not once but twice. How can we possibly thank so many kind-hearted individuals? By continuing to help as many animals

as possible. We’re fortunate to have a dedicated team that loves with their whole heart, and the animals that come in will experience the true meaning of love,” Chiaradio said.

A member of the Humane Society of the United States animal rescue team reacts to an animal rescued at Smoky Mountain Human Society on Sept. 30, 2024 following ﬂooding that struck the area. The Washington, DC group rescued animals from SMHS, Cocke County Animal Control and Newport City Animal Shelter following ﬂooding.

Humane Society of the United States trucks at Smoky Mountain Humane Society. The group responded and mobilized to help transport animals from SMHS in addition to county and city animal shelters to another no-kill facility Sept. 30, 2024 in response to the ﬂooding emergency.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES

PHOTO/JEFF ROBERSON

Del Rio.

PHOTO BY DAVE RUTHENBERG

AP PHOTO/GEORGE WALKER IV

Jonah Wark, right, kisses his wife Sara Martin outside their ﬂood-damaged home on the Pigeon River in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Newport, Tenn.

This photo from TDOT shows Helene’s impact on Hartford.

In thea ermathofHurricane Heleneand thedevastating oodsthata ected ourarea, RuralMedical Serviceswasout in thestreets delivering hotmeals andworking hand in hand with Pigeon Valley BaptistChurchtoser ve our community.Weweretrulyblessedtobeableto physicallygoout to variousareas of CockeC ounty, o eringcareand compassionwhen it wasneeded most

Ournurseshad their boots on theground, providingtetanus shotsand rst aidto anyone in need.Weare so grateful to have ateamwillingtostepupand serveduring timesofcrisis.

We also receivedanincredibleoutpouringofdonations from acrossthe countr y -includingsuppliesdropped in by helicopter,aswellascontributions from Crossroads CommunityChurch, numerous out-of-statechurches, andother generous organizations.

In momentslikethese,weareremindedwhattruecommunity means- coming together,helping oneanother,and beingthere when it counts themost. RuralMedical Services is proudand humbledtobepartofsucha caring andresilientcommunity