Waterway Debris Cleanup Nears Completion Following Tropical Storm Helene

Today, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency announced the massive waterway debris cleanup effort launched by the State of Tennessee in response to Tropical Storm Helene is coming to a close, with nearly 5 million cubic yards of debris collected from affected rivers and lakes across the region.

This operation, led by a coordinated effort of federal, state, and local agencies, has spanned months of coordinated work to restore safe access to waterways and mitigate environmental impacts. While the scope of debris removal has been extensive, not all debris poses a risk to public health or safety, and some debris will remain in the waterways.

“Each disaster is unique in its own way, and Helene was no exception,” said TEMA Assistant Director of Recovery and Mitigation Craig Hanrahan. “We commend the wok of federal, state, and local partners to remove storm-related debris that threatened infrastructure, health, and safety across Northeast Tennessee.”

The final phase of the waterway debris removal project is now underway at Watauga Lake, where crews are conducting an underwater sonar survey to identify any submerged debris not visible from the surface. The results of the survey are expected to guide any final debris cleanup efforts.

Due to the scope of the disaster and the massive amount of debris that was left in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, the state began the waterway debris cleanup effort to restore the waterways as closely to their condition prior to Helene. 

For more information about the project, visit the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency website.