Hurricane Helene became a catastrophe in East Tennessee on Sept. 27 when it turned small tributary rivers into chaotic rapids , but the Tennessee River that flows through Knoxville is not expected to flood after all the water rushes in.
Knoxville residents can rest assured: Even as Douglas Dam spills record levels of water into the French Broad River − and then into the Tennessee River − water levels around the city will remain stable.
The Tennessee Valley Authority , which owns and operates nine dams on the Tennessee River, is spilling massive amounts of water through the dams each second to pass the floodwaters of Helene along 652 miles to the Ohio River.
TVA will continue to spill the floodwaters all week after the storm dumped more than 19 inches of rain on some parts of its river system Sept. 26-27.
As it passes by Knoxville through Fort Loudoun Lake , the Tennessee River could reach or slightly exceed summer levels, which is only a few feet higher than its winter water level, TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said.