KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — As East Tennessee communities are still assessing the damage after Friday’s storms and flooding , the Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) said Saturday afternoon that potential flooding could impact East Knox County via the French Broad River.
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KEMA officials issued an “urgent notice to residents in communities along the French Broad River in East Knox County regarding potential flooding,” a news release stated, due to increasing the release of swell water from Douglas Dam. The French Broad River is projected to rise between two and two-and-a-half feet during the swell water discharge, KEMA stated.
“The release of water is necessary to maintain the integrity of the dam as water flows downstream from affected areas in Northeast Tennessee,” the release stated.
KEMA is continuing to monitor the situation. If evacuations are recommended, emergency response agencies and KEMA will notify the affected communities as quickly as possible. Residents are advised to take the following precautions: