A Mission to Protect

TVA’s Flood Defense Proves Critical Amid Helene

Raised in the east Tennessee town of Erwin, Tom Barnett is many things.

Army veteran. Engineer. Outdoor enthusiast.

And now, one of thousands impacted by Hurricane Helene.

At his hometown in Unicoi County, roads he drove on as a teenager no longer exist. He knows some of the people who are missing.

In the days following Helene, Barnett yearned to be there, using any one of the five chainsaws in his garage to clear trees and aid his neighbors and friends.

But his mission of service extends beyond Unicoi County, and there is much work left to be done and many lives to protect.

As vice president of River Management and Dam Safety at Tennessee Valley Authority, Barnett is one of the many dedicated team members who manage TVA’s system of dams and reservoirs to mitigate flood damage in the seven-state region.

He recalls those early moments on Sept. 27, as Hurricane Helene shifted to a tropical storm and descended upon the region. The growing concern as extreme rainfall and runoff caused rivers and reservoirs to rise quickly. The collective sense of urgency to save towns and cities downstream.

Stationed at the River Forecast Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, he and his team monitored TVA’s dams, rivers and reservoirs as the waters surged.

Nolichucky Dam, relatively small compared to TVA’s other dams, became a focal point of concern as the river reached a record peak of 1,266 feet at the dam – 9.5 feet above the previous record set in 1977. Water flow at the dam reached almost twice that of Niagara Falls.

Other reservoirs filled to the brim. TVA’s 10 largest tributary dams would hold back a staggering 404 billion gallons of water during the weather event.

The River Management team coordinated with experts across TVA to manage the system, including the Dam Safety team and a group of specialists who maintain a network of rain and stream gauges that provide critical, real-time data to the River Forecast Center.

Flood waters washed away gauges in some locations, prompting on-site visits to many locations.

“It was a steady build of intensity in the room, and people working through issues in real time,” Barnett said. “There was a lot of communication, a lot of notifications, a lot of smart people doing a lot of smart things.”

Amid the rain and runoff from Helene, Douglas Dam stored 182 billion gallons of water over three days.

Always Ready

At the River Forecast Center, the team had been preparing for Helene days in advance.

They tracked the hurricane and, as part of seasonal adjustments, they had lowered already-low reservoir levels to make space for impending stormwater.

“It was all hands on deck,” Benjamin Heath, operations support manager for the River Forecast Center, said. “We had everything staffed and ready to do what was necessary.”

In areas of northeast Tennessee and western North Carolina, they encountered what is now described as a flood of Biblical proportions.

Rivers would reach record heights, affecting TVA’s dams and reservoirs, including Douglas, Watauga and Nolichucky.

Forecasting reports that normally occur every 12 hours were sped up to every six hours, and the River Forecast Center notified emergency management agencies of impending flooding.

In Newport, Tennessee, the French Broad River reached 23.3 feet, more than 13.3 feet above flood stage – the highest this river has reached at Newport since 1867.

The Pigeon River, also at Newport, reached a record 28.9 feet, which is 20.9 feet above flood stage, surpassing the 1904 record by 5.5 feet.

In Elizabethton, Tennessee, the Watauga River topped 13.5 feet – about 5 feet above flood stage and the highest level since 1940.

“Every curveball that you can think of was being thrown at us,” Barnett said. “We worked through all our backup and contingency plans successfully to manage the rain event and the dam safety events.”

In the days that followed, TVA systematically released water into the river system through South Holston, Cherokee, Fontana and Norris dams.

Douglas Dam released water at 450,000 gallons per second, as more than 1.6 million gallons per second flowed into the reservoir. Over a period of three days, Douglas stored 182 billion gallons of water.

River Management teams strategically worked the water downstream through Knoxville, Loudon and beyond. Locations along the mainstem Tennessee River never exceeded flood stage.

“I can just imagine how bad things would be downstream if that dam wasn’t there,” Heath said.

TVA’s system of dams performed as designed and as a unified system, James Everett, general manager of River Management, said.

“To store water to provide protection for communities below the dams, but also places like Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and on out through North Alabama and the Ohio River and Paducah, Kentucky,” he said.

Benjamin Heath, operations support manager for TVA’s River Forecast Center.

'A History of Service’

As the River Management team continues to manage water flows at these reservoirs, they’re keeping a watchful eye on weather developments along the Gulf Coast and adapting strategies as needed.

TVA’s system of dams worked collectively to reduce flood impacts and regulate water. Some that used spillways or sluices to pass excess water include South Holston, Watauga, Wilbur, Boone, Fort Patrick Henry, Cherokee, Fontana, Douglas, Fort Loudoun, Watts Bar, Chickamauga, Nickajack, Guntersville, Pickwick and Kentucky.

TVA encourages boaters to keep a safe distance as water is released from the dams.

“If the dam is spilling, do not approach too closely,” Barnett said. “There is no fish that’s worth it.”

Barnett also encourages boaters to be mindful of debris, particularly at Douglas Reservoir. He encourages people to obey all safe boating practices, including wearing personal flotation devices and being mindful of trash and debris accumulated along boat ramps.

As the region recovers, TVA will continue focusing on a key element of its mission of service – managing the river and its system of dams and working with partners to safeguard rivers, streams and tributaries.

As part of its foundational mission to manage the Tennessee River basin, TVA has prevented more than $9.7 billion in flood losses since 1933 across the Valley region.

“My family has a history of service," Barnett said. “My dad, my grandfather, my great grandfather, uncles and I all served in the military. For me, being able to serve others is very important.

“There’s no other place like TVA in managing a 41,000-square-mile integrated river system. To have that mission to serve people and make lives better – that's why we do it.”

Photo Gallery

James Everett, general manager of TVA’s River Management.

Darrell Guinn, senior manager of the River Forecast Center.

The team at the River Forecast Center in Knoxville manages TVA’s system of dams and reservoirs based on real-time data.

PHOTO AT TOP OF PAGE: Tom Barnett, TVA’s vice president of River Management and Dam Safety, leads a team of experts who manage the enterprise’s system of dams and reservoirs.