Nashville Standard

United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) appeared on BloombergTV's Surveillance to discuss the impact of Hurricane Helene on East Tennessee and ongoing disaster relief efforts.

"The devastation is enormous here," Hagerty stated. He described the event as a "greater than 1,000 years" occurrence, noting the unprecedented volume of water. He shared an account from the director of Newport, Tennessee Utility District: "He told me as the water came in, it was ankle deep... In five minutes time, it was chest deep."

Hagerty highlighted the critical role of the National Guard and FEMA in relief efforts. "As of yesterday afternoon, they’re going to be between 200-250 guardsmen on the ground there," he said. The senator also emphasized the need for immediate debris removal and resources for isolated communities.

On federal response, Hagerty mentioned his discussions with White House officials: "I spoke with White House yesterday... I think all eyes were pointed toward Florida in the beginning – that was the initial landfall – but... more are needed up here in Tennessee right now." He also noted challenges faced by Western North Carolina.

Regarding Congress's potential involvement in disaster relief funding, Hagerty expressed support: "If additional emergency funding needs to be put through, we should get to Congress."

Discussing power restoration efforts by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Hagerty acknowledged their work but stressed issues with broadband and wireless systems affecting communication. "I talked to a school principal yesterday. He’s missing a number of children in the school," he said.

Hagerty confirmed that Starlink is being used by emergency responders and could play a crucial role in recovery efforts.

Reflecting on another possible storm, Hagerty shared concerns about preparedness due to current conditions: "This has put us in a much more vulnerable situation for the next big storm."

He praised local volunteerism but called for more resources: "We actually need resources and equipment."

Hagerty concluded by suggesting ways people can help through organizations like Red Cross and Salvation Army while acknowledging long-term recovery needs: "This is going to take not days, not weeks. It’s going to take months."

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