Coping with Mental Health Issues in the Aftermath of Disaster
September 27, 2024, was the day that life changed for the citizens of Newport, Tennessee, for the long-term. The small town, tucked into the Smokey Mountains with breathtaking views of the mountains and rivers that weave through communities, was devastated by Hurricane Helene that day. Hundreds of people’s homes were destroyed or damaged, including some of those whose homes had been in their families for multiple generations. Farmers lost their crops, livestock and equipment; they lost their livelihoods. The town lost access to rivers and roads that they had known as well as the back of their hands. Their mountains and rivers turned against them as the dams overflowed with water brought in from Hurricane Helene.
In the aftermath of floods, the citizens of the community depended on one another. They rallied together to collect and distribute food, water, and clothing. Community meals were made and served free of charge.
Day by day, life began to move forward. People had jobs to go to. Children had school to attend. Bills had to be paid. People had to go back to work through the devastation of their own livelihoods. Amidst cleaning up and rebuilding their homes and land, people still had to keep moving to survive.
“You spend your daily life still trying to make your ends meet, take care of your family, but now you come home to, ‘I gotta finish rebuilding my house and getting back into my house.’ So, you spend every waking hour trying to just also rebuild your life, but you're working to survive. You are just exhausted and mentally broken down,” said Chrissy Miller.
Miller is a case manager for the Cocke County Long Term Recovery Group, the CCLTRG, a nonprofit that was formed in October 2024 to aid survivors whose homes were impacted by the storm. The nonprofit coordinates with over 60 partner organizations and various volunteer groups to provide aid to survivors of the storm. Miller is one of several case mangers that work with survivors to coordinate rebuilds and restorations. Miller and the other case managers were working with 185 active cases, which represents approximately 400 to 500 survivors with two to four new cases coming in weekly, according to Spring Duckett, who is the Executive Director of the CCLTRG.
In addition to resources concerning rebuilding and repairing, Miller and the other case managers also coordinate mental health resources for survivors.
The McNabb Center, a nonprofit mental health services provider, partnered with the CCLTRG soon after the storm. The McNabb Center already had staff members on the ground days after the disaster to provide survivors with immediate services, but their partnership with CCLTRG is one of the ways the center is providing lasting assistance to survivors.
“A lot of these folks haven't even had the time to experience the trauma from Helene because they're still trying to fight just to get back in their home," Miller said. "I'm seeing it a year later where people are getting back in their home, and you think things are going to be great for them, but now they're breaking down because they have time to actually process some of this trauma."
Karen Chambers, a member of the Cocke County Rescue Squad and river safety officer, got stuck in a flood that happened in June 2025. Chambers found herself chest deep in water with another officer and had to wait for the water to recede to escape with their vehicles. This event triggered PTSD that she believes she has due to the destruction she witnessed while working during Hurricane Helene.
“I went back to the river to work this summer and the flood came. That is when I realized I had PTSD because I was freaking out,” Chambers said.
LaTisha Raulston-Sloderbeck, the Volunteer Coordinator of the CCLTRG, said case managers can refer survivors, survivors can request services themselves and the McNabb center identifies survivors in need organically when participating in community events around Cocke County. The McNabb center offers their resources to survivors free of cost.
The staff at The McNabb center have one-on-one meetings with individuals who receive services. They also host group sessions called Coffee and Convos, where people can attend and discuss ongoing issues they are having.
Miller said that survivors struggle to carve out time to receive these services.
“They're still trying to figure out what I got to do tomorrow to keep fixing my project and keep moving forward,” said Miller.
Despite the ongoing support from The McNabb Center, Cocke County has limited mental health resources for survivors struggling with mental health issues caused by the storm.
According to data released by the state of Tennessee in 2024, there are two behavioral and mental health providers in Cocke County, and before Hurricane Helene, 20% of people in the county experienced frequent mental distress, which is defined as experiencing poor mental health for at least 14 out of the last 30 days.
In North Carolina, Resources for Resilience, a nonprofit organization that shares tools and resources to navigate mental health issues for citizens of North Carolina, stepped up to fill a similar gap the state was experiencing after Hurricane Helene. The organization provided free resiliency workshops through this June. They had weekly and monthly sessions.
Despite this being an effective model for North Carolina, it may not work in a more isolated area like Cocke County. The area is so mountainous that cell phone signal is spotty and not everyone has access to a reliable wireless internet connection.
“We live in a mental health desert here. You don't have easily accessible care,” said Bee Clevenger, a professor of social work and an advisor of social work at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville and a lifelong resident of Cocke County.
Although Hurricane Helene struck nearly two years ago, recovery efforts are still ongoing. Learn more about the Cocke County Long Term Recovery Group here.
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