NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 22, 2024) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team documenting flood information in the wake of Hurricane Helene has culminated surveys in Tennessee and Virginia and has shifted its efforts to North Carolina.

Data collection update

The data collection effort has been on-going for several weeks and will provide key insights for planning and infrastructure decisions, improving flood resilience for safer, more sustainable communities.

According to Kelley Peck, Nashville District Water Resources Section chief, field efforts to document flood information in Cocke, Greene, Washington, Unicoi, Carter, and Johnson Counties in Tennessee, and Washington County in Virginia, officially concluded Oct. 26 in coordination with the Tennessee Valley Authority and U.S. Geological Survey.

“The team’s duty is to assess peak water levels from flooding caused by Hurricane Helene across 14 counties in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina,” Peck said. “The focus is now on North Carolina. Even though more than a month has passed since this historic flood impacted Appalachia, timely data collection remains crucial to understanding its full effects.”

With a few more weeks left to conclude the overall mission, the field teams have already collected approximately 1,800 surveyed high-water marks in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina. A dozen USACE employees began documenting high-water marks Oct. 28 in Jackson, Haywood, Transylvania, Henderson, Buncombe, Madison, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. This includes data collection within the Pigeon River and French Broad River basins in some of the hardest hit population centers of western North Carolina. Teams continue to identify and document historical water levels within the Nolichucky River, Watauga River, and Little Tennessee River basins.

“This important work cannot be accomplished without the support of our partner agencies, USACE leadership, and the public,” Peck said. “As always, we encourage the public to help identify high-water marks and to share their stories. We are grateful for their continued coordination and support through these challenging times.”

USACE continues to seek first-hand accounts of the flooding impacts in all three states and encourages the public to help by providing any data, such as photos, videos, and/or personal accounts, of floodwater levels during Hurricane Helene. This information can be submitted by emailing [email protected].

Next steps

The high-water mark data is being compiled into a database for USACE and its local, state, and federal partners. Collected information plays a key role in interagency coordination and support for flood risk management, infrastructure planning, and emergency response.

“There is still much work to be done after data collection in the field concludes,” Peck said. “The team will go through a rigorous quality review of the data, organize files into a geodatabase, and catalog data for historical reference. A final data set of surveyed high-water mark points will be available in addition to a report once this review process is completed.”

Peck said the flood information will assist USACE hydraulic engineers in evaluating the impacts of Hurricane Helene to enhance flood risk resiliency for the affected communities. This analysis will inform decision making and enhance preparedness, supporting local officials and partner agencies in rebuilding these areas with a focus on future disaster mitigation.

What the team is experiencing

Experienced personnel are supporting the high-water-marks mission in North Carolina. They work to efficiently plan operations, canvass evidence of high-water marks, and survey elevation data. The teams consist of office and field personnel from all backgrounds, including engineering, surveying, planning, and natural resource management.

Several employees who recently deployed into North Carolina provided insight on their experiences while documenting flood data in the affected communities.

Annalee Warren, civil engineer in the USACE Nashville District’s Water Resources Section Hydraulics and Hydrology Branch, deployed to North Carolina to document high-water marks and collect information from people that experienced the flooding. She also found herself listening to people coping with the hardships and recovery efforts.

“Getting the opportunity to go and help collect high-water mark data from Hurricane Helene was a true honor and humbling experience – one that I will never forget,” Warren said. “Everyone was so kind and helpful despite the devastation they experienced. I walked away grateful to have served.”

Michael Krneta, also a civil engineer and Warren’s coworker, collected what he described as stark evidence of the flood and its immense reach. He recalled seeing high-water marks scarring homes and businesses, but also heard firsthand accounts of the flooding.

“The community response wasn’t just about clearing debris or patching roofs; it was about collectively tackling the immense task of rebuilding, and in the immediate aftermath, surviving,” Krneta said. “We met people who lived in apartment buildings and complexes who had pooled their resources to ensure nobody went without food, water, or shelter.”

While searching for marks on washed-out driveways or steep slopes, Krneta said the team encountered people that were still living in the dark without power, running water, or food other than what they stored prior to the storm.

“On more than one occasion, a month after the event, people told us we were the first and only ones to have visited their property to check on them,” Krneta added.

Annalise Winton, regional economist in the Project Planning Branch’s Plan Formulation Section, said she had never seen flood damage in person, let alone to such a widespread extent.

“It gave me a very deep and profound perspective,” Winton said. “I learned so much by being there on the ground, and it was a gift to hear each person’s experience. The people were all very kind to us, and they are incredibly resilient despite the unbelievable hardships they are facing. It was truly moving, and I am looking forward to anything and everything that we are able to do to work with these communities to help mitigate and prevent this sort of damage from happening again.”

How to recognize the team

As the USACE team continues its work, the public can easily identify them collecting data in impacted areas wearing Corps of Engineers apparel and/or reflective safety vests. When field personnel visit flood-impacted areas they carefully photograph and document each high-water mark, the type of surface it is on, and the quality of the mark, among other details. Professional land surveyors note the precise location and elevation of each mark using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and survey-grade equipment, tied to known benchmarks for accuracy.

Public Law 84-99 provides authority for USACE to undertake emergency response operations including flood response, rehabilitation, preparedness, and technical assistance. Data collection serves to advance preparedness.

The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/About/Districts/Nashville-District/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on X (formerly Twitter) at www.x.com/nashvillecorps. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.