Betty Francis poses next to see her new home taking shape on her Jonesborough, Tennessee property next to the temporary home that FEMA provided after Tropical Storm Helene, March 2025. (FEMA Photo by Robert Kaufmann)
Tropical Storm Helene brought many things up through the Appalachian Mountains and Eastern Tennessee in late September of 2024: historic rainfall, terrible floods, significantly damaged infrastructure and a wake-up call for many counties completely ill-equipped to handle flooding at this scale. Homes and towns were lost underwater as the nearby rivers and dams overflowed and dozens nearby had to be rescued off rooftops by helicopter because of the unnavigable waters. However, months later as the waters subside and lives are rebuilt, a glimmer of hope shines for those who have waited patiently.
Betty Francis is one such case, who had her mobile home swept-off its foundation in the deluge and wedged between trees in her front yard. Francis was busy providing hospice care for her husband, Sydney, when the waters starting rising and didn’t notice the flooding – neighbors alerted her and helped the couple to safety. Sadly, Sydney passed away just days later, and Francis’s life was left at a standstill. Her personal items and affects were all lost, including precious photo albums of her late son, and she stayed at her daughter’s house while waiting for FEMA assistance. In February the good news came, and Francis was provided temporary housing under FEMA and construction started for her new permanent residence. Now, 100 yards from the Nolichucky River in east Tennessee, she’s on the home stretch, and was given a move-in date of May 1. “I never had a house of my own, I’ve always had mobile homes,” Francis said. “I’m going to love it.”
Washington County, Tennessee, where Francis calls home, saw not only unprecedented flooding, but an unprecedented lack of flood insurance coverage. Only 34 affected families had flood insurance when the storm hit, and in its wake, organizations like FEMA, the American Red Cross, and the Dollywood Foundation have worked tirelessly to help those blindsided by the wayward hurricane. Amidst the agency’s uncertain future, FEMA is still hard at work providing relief to the area. Its National Flood Insurance Program has paid $14 million in Helene claims to policyholders. Beyond the insured costs, FEMA has approved more than $86 million to help other Helene survivors. The FEMA team will continue to help with repairs and rebuilding and providing technical assistance to understaffed counties in the meantime. To people like Francis, the assistance is a lifeline that cannot be understated. You can read more about Francis’s story and others in FEMA’s blog post.
See you on the trail,
Lisa
LMA Newsletter of 5-19-25
