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Elizabethton TN Hurricane Helene Chronicle
This is a project I did for the City of Elizabethton, TN. I chronicled the events that took place after Hurricane Helene struck the area. I turned the documentation in to Public Information Officer Ivan Sanders on 10-06-2024.
Published 3:23 pm Friday, October 4th, 2024
By Leo Kraska
It was September 27th 2024 at around 12:30 PM. Hurricane Helene had blown through the area. I thought the worst of the storm was over, so I decided to venture into historic downtown Elizabethton TN. Nothing was closed at that point, however what I found astonished me.
The Doe River was flooding. I never saw the water rise this high before. The park at the bottom of the bridge was washed away. The coursing current licked the underside of our historic Covered Bridge. At that moment I knew I was in the wrong place at the right time, so I decided let my videographer out and dedicated to documenting what came next. I started taking video and snapping pictures. I found myself at the beginning of something that would prove to be devastating for this town I love so much.
I didn't think the Doe River would flood. I assumed it would only lessen from here since the rain had passed. I was wrong. The water started coming into the parking lot where I left my car. So I moved it and decided I should return home to let my wife know what was happening. That didn't prove to be easy. Everywhere I turned either the roads were now flooded or the police had barred the way.
It got worse. Not only was I separated from my family, but the flood waters started consuming homes and commercial buildings all over the place. People were evacuating to the safety of higher ground. After around two hours of trying, I managed to find a back road that would get me to the Stoney Creek area. Down the road from my house is the Elizabethton Municipal Airport. At some point Medivac Helicopters arrived on the scene to help with the ordeal.
After everything, I decided to stay home for the night, until things became stable in town. The next day I headed out to document the aftermath of the flooding. Elizabethton was sealed off from the highway through the two main entrances, so I took the back road into town this time. Here is what I found.
The town was reeling from the events of the previous day. Many had lost much and my sympathy goes out to them. There will be a long recovery period after this disaster. Much like how Helene reshaped the flow of land and water through every area touched by her tirade, so too will things be different after she passed over Elizabethton. However, I believe in the spirit and resilience of our residence. My guess and my hope is that we will come back stronger from this. Already you can see people working around the clock to rebuild.
Thank you for reading. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the police, fire fighters, rescue workers, volunteers, and good Samaritans who chipped in with whatever help you could offer.