The Tennessee Valley Authority is installing a one-mile-long boom in Douglas Lake to collect debris that was washed into the lake by Helene. (Courtesy: Tennessee Valley Authority)
The Tennessee Valley Authority is installing a one-mile-long boom in the middle of Douglas Lake to collect flood debris that was washed into the lake by Hurricane Helene.
Located at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains, Douglas Lake recently became the watershed for Helene floodwaters that poured down the mountains.
This has led to the lake filling with floating and submerged debris that became caught in the floods, which TVA officials hope to capture with the boom.
“This work will contain the debris until we can work with our partners to remove it from the lake,” they said.
Aerial view of debris in Douglas Lake.
(Tennessee Valley Authority / FOX Weather)
Hurricane Helene and a storm that preceded it dumped as much as 15-30 inches of rain in the Appalachian Mountains, leading to catastrophic flooding that has claimed more than 200 lives and left hundreds more missing.
In the meantime, TVA officials have asked the public to stay away from the lake, which is usually a popular recreation spot.
“The most important thing for people to know right now is to stay off and away from Douglas Reservoir until further notice,” said Scott Brooks of TVA’s Media Relations.
Brooks noted that people should take caution, particularly in the areas above downtown Dandridge, which is located along the lake shore.
Douglas Lake is a reservoir spanning over 28,000 acres that formed when the Douglas Dam was built on the French Broad River in East Tennessee, according to the TVA.