Our hearts go out to members affected by Hurricane Helene throughout the southeast in areas of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and here in our own state of Tennessee. Please keep all our members throughout multiple states impacted by the Hurricane in your thoughts. Bridges have been washed away, business and homes have been destroyed. Governor Lee has declared a state of emergency for Carter, Cocke, Greene, Sevier, Unicoi and Washington counties – which are located in the east TN area of the state. There will soon be a time for us to talk about recovery and rebuilding, but for now we must assist organizations in meeting the immediate needs of our fellow Tennesseans.
Update as of 1/17/2025: After a few months of disaster relief assessment, AIA members in Northeast TN have created a Regional Resilience subcommittee to meet bi-weekly since the storm to assess and respond to the community needs of the impacted areas. Members have been in communication with allied organizations to facilitate the rebuilding of Washington County, how to engage other counties and understand the rebuilding coordination effort. Members have offered resources and time in assisting with local mayors and building departments. There is also a focus to engage in a 6-week workshop to increase awareness of creating Hazard Mitigation Plans. Members of the group are also planning educational sessions to have a climate/disaster response focus.
Update as of 10/13/24: TNSAVE sent out an alert to registered volunteers noting they may be called upon to assist in the disaster response to Hurricane Helene. If you would like to be eligible for deployment as a TNSAVE Volunteer, there are several steps that you must complete. These steps take several days for processing and are required before you can deploy, even if you have previously deployed with TNSAVE. Learn more.
Update as of 10/8/24: AIA East Tennessee has formed the Regional Resilience Sub-Committee through their Committee on the Environment (COTE). This will serve as AIA East Tennessee’s platform for organization, planning, and action toward building and community resilience. An immediate goal of this sub-committee is to organize and assist the communities in need with the particular expertise and skill set that we as architects and designers can offer. In the long term, this group will serve as the catalyst for planning and rebuilding efforts to bolster the resilience of buildings and communities against future environmental disasters. If you are interested in being a part of the Regional Resilience Sub-Committee, please email Cameron Bolin.
Update as of 10/4/24: AIA Tennessee and AIA East Tennessee have established an internal Disaster Response Team to communicate and work together to reach out to members in the affected areas, compile resource lists, and to keep abreast of the disaster assistance efforts by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). Please reach out to Ashley Cates for more information.
As of 9/29/24 at 4pm, TEMA continues to deploy personnel at the request of the counties and is coordinating with local officials to assess damages and ensure life safety needs are met. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has established a hotline to coordinate reports of missing persons in the areas affected by the recent flooding in Northeast Tennessee. Those wishing to report missing individuals believed to be in the affected areas across East Tennessee may contact 1-800-TBI-FIND (1-800-824-3463). Callers should be prepared to relay as much identifying information as possible, including names, phone numbers, vehicle identification, and last known whereabouts. Recognizing the importance of accounting for individuals who may be missing, TBI urges the public to refrain from calling to inquire about the status of personal properties in the affected areas.
As the floodwaters recede, TEMA and local authorities will have a better understanding of the impact.