After devastating flash floods hit Cocke County, residents like Laurel Shook face daunting recovery costs and insurance uncertainties as community aid ramps up.
NEWPORT, Tennessee — Nearly a week after flash flooding swept through parts of Cocke County, many residents are still cleaning up damage and trying to determine how they will recover financially.
For Laurel Shook, who has lived in Cocke County since 2006, the flooding was unlike anything she had experienced before.
Shook said she woke up around 6 a.m. Thursday and noticed water rising well beyond its normal levels near her home.
“It’ll flood out here maybe once a year or once every couple of years, but it’s never done this,” Shook said.
When she looked outside, she saw sheds being carried away by the rushing water.
“My sheds are floating down the creek. I was just in awe. I was just like, this can’t be happening,” Shook said.
Shook said floodwaters filled her garage with nearly four feet of water, damaging appliances, storage items, water equipment and her vehicle.
“Everything was just everywhere and just mud and yuck and gross,” Shook said.
She estimates the damage totals between $10,000 and $15,000.
“I’m like everybody else. I live paycheck to paycheck. This is something I can’t afford,” Shook said.
While her auto insurance company told her the vehicle would be covered, Shook said she is still waiting to hear whether her homeowner’s insurance policy will cover damage caused by floodwaters entering the garage.
“They told me the car would be covered, but they don’t cover water coming in from the outside,” Shook said.
The uncertainty has left her frustrated as she continues the cleanup process.
“Why do I have homeowner’s insurance if they’re not going to pay for anything?” Shook said.
Cocke County Emergency Management Director Joe Esway said emergency crews spent Thursday focused on rescue and recovery operations before shifting to helping residents address immediate needs.
“Thursday, since the early morning hours, we were in the rescue phase, rescue recovery phase,” Esway said.
By Friday, county officials established six dedicated phone lines to connect residents with resources, temporary lodging and volunteers willing to help.
“Everybody that needed something was matched up with somebody that was offering something,” Esway said.
Esway said the county has now entered the next phase of recovery, which includes coordinating assistance efforts among local agencies.
The county is also exploring ways to help flood victims dispose of debris without paying landfill tipping fees.
However, Esway said the flooding did not result in a disaster declaration because it was localized to a portion of Cocke County.
“There was no disaster declaration because this was not a regional or a statewide event. This is localized to one part of the area,” Esway said.
That means many residents will likely need to rely on insurance coverage, community assistance and local recovery efforts.
“People are going to have to rely on their insurance companies and their neighbors to get things back to where they were,” Esway said.
Esway said additional rainfall over the weekend did not create new flooding concerns for emergency responders but added stress for residents already dealing with cleanup.
“It takes a mental toll on people, and I always hate to see that,” Esway said.
For Shook, the recovery process is only beginning. Without a vehicle and facing thousands of dollars in losses, she said she plans to continue pursuing her insurance claim.
“I need help in the meantime to replace the things that I lost, and it’s going to be a fight. And I’ll fight it,” Shook said.
Damage assessment teams are expected to remain in the field this week as Cocke County officials continue evaluating the full impact of the flooding and identifying resources for affected residents.
Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.