Gatlinburg, Sevier County flood waters make mark after storms dump inches of rain

Communities in East Tennessee saw torrential downpours that brought inches of rain and caused rivers to flood, especially in Gatlinburg.

On Wednesday morning, the flood waters receded, but the damage was felt. The vacation mountain town and other areas in Sevier County saw upwards of three inches of rain on Tuesday, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service. It was enough for downtown Gatlinburg to look more like a river ride than roads usually filled with people.

People captured images of the rushing water of the Little Pigeon River next to The Old Mill restaurant in Pigeon Forge. The river crashed through downtown Gatlinburg closing off multiple roads and battering restaurants along the way.

A release from the Sevier County Government estimates that parts of the county saw upwards of four inches of rain in 24 hours.

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The flooding caused at least 20 road closures. There have been no reported injuries as of Wednesday morning, but there was a shallow water rescue off Snapp Road where emergency crews rescued a person from a car.

Along with heavy rainfall, wind gusts were measured to be up to 80 mph in the higher elevations with max wind gusts of 94 mph recorded on Cove Mountain, according to the press release from the county.

Flooding in Sevier County overnight put both residents and officials in the area on notice.

Despite flooding not being uncommon in the area, Gatlinburg Public Information Officer Seth and other staff put their best foot forward, opening up a temporary shelter at the Gatlinburg Community center for those in need.

“Here in Gatlinburg, we’re no stranger to flooding, so the utmost concern is the safety for our residents and visitors,” Butler said.

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That did not stop residents and Sevier County emergency staff from staying on high alert at all times.

“The water’s going to flow somewhere and it flows downstream so just happens that a lot of the mountain waters flow down into our river and carry on out through the spur into Pigeon Forge,” Missy Norris said. “That’s just the natural way that the river flows.”

The Little Pigeon River rose to dangerously high levels early in the day, causing Norris, a Gatlinburg resident, to take action.

“I try to let my friends and coworkers, people that live around here, that are traveling here for work what’s going on so they can be noteworthy of the potential dangers,” Norris said.

Norris praised the city for its efforts in keeping people safe as well.

“They were doing exactly what they should be doing and also warning the residents that the flood waters were rising because we did get a siren earlier today,” Norris said.

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Despite the rain slowing down, Sevier County emergency staff still urge people to be cautious when there is water on any road.

“Pay attention to what you’re doing, pay attention to social media, turn around, do not drown,” Sevier County flood monitor Rocky Kanipe said. “Do not go into high water, pay attention to the current. Just please do not take any chances.”

Flooding in Sevier County overnight put both residents and officials in the area on notice.

Despite flooding not being uncommon in the area, Gatlinburg Public Information Officer Seth and other staff put their best foot forward, opening up a temporary shelter at the Gatlinburg Community center for those in need.

“Here in Gatlinburg, we’re no stranger to flooding, so the utmost concern is the safety for our residents and visitors,” Butler said.

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That did not stop residents and Sevier County emergency staff from staying on high alert at all times.

“The water’s going to flow somewhere and it flows downstream so just happens that a lot of the mountain waters flow down into our river and carry on out through the spur into Pigeon Forge,” Missy Norris said. “That’s just the natural way that the river flows.”

The Little Pigeon River rose to dangerously high levels early in the day, causing Norris, a Gatlinburg resident, to take action.

“I try to let my friends and coworkers, people that live around here, that are traveling here for work what’s going on so they can be noteworthy of the potential dangers,” Norris said.

Norris praised the city for its efforts in keeping people safe as well.

“They were doing exactly what they should be doing and also warning the residents that the flood waters were rising because we did get a siren earlier today,” Norris said.

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Despite the rain slowing down, Sevier County emergency staff still urge people to be cautious when there is water on any road.

“Pay attention to what you’re doing, pay attention to social media, turn around, do not drown,” Sevier County flood monitor Rocky Kanipe said. “Do not go into high water, pay attention to the current. Just please do not take any chances.”