Unicoi County continues rebuilding after Hurricane Helene

More than a year after Hurricane Helene tore through Unicoi County, the storm’s effects continue to shape the region’s industrial park, small businesses, and daily life, revealing both the depth of economic loss and the long road to recovery.

Local officials and residents say the storm delivered a sudden and sweeping disruption to the county’s economic foundation, particularly within the Unicoi County Industrial Park — home to several of the area’s largest employers.

The impact extended far beyond flooded buildings and damaged infrastructure, exposing how deeply tied the county’s economy is to its industrial base and small businesses. As manufacturers shut down, jobs disappeared, consumer spending dropped and recovery timelines stretched into years, forcing local leaders, nonprofits, and business owners to rethink how a rural community rebuilds after a large-scale disaster.

“When Hurricane Helene hit overnight, the unemployment rate jumped from around 4.9% to about 5.2% or 5.3%,” said Melanie Montgomery, community resource coordinator for the Unicoi County Long-Term Recovery Group.

While parts of the industrial park now appear restored, officials say recovery remains uneven beneath the surface.

“The industrial park looks pristine by comparison to where we were,” said Austin Finch, the county’s economic development director. “But when you’re out of business for 18 or 19 months, you no longer have customers. They’ve replaced you in their supply chains.”

Finch said manufacturers suffered more than $100 million in property damage, along with similar losses in revenue, forcing many to rebuild operations from the ground up and reestablish lost business relationships.

For Unicoi County Mayor Kevin McInturff, who also owns Cracker Bee's Antiques and Building Supplies, the return of those industries has been critical to the county’s recovery.

“I told them, ‘Are you coming back?’” McInturff said. “And when they said yes, I said, ‘Thank you for not giving up on us.’”

Many facilities were forced to shut down and rebuild from extensive damage, in some cases operating out of temporary offices while repairs continued.

“They had to have new roofs — everything got washed out,” McInturff said.

Recovery across Northeast Tennessee has required an unprecedented level of coordination among local, state and nonprofit partners, according to officials involved in regional planning efforts.

Leaders described the early response as “building a plane while flying it,” reflecting the lack of existing systems to manage a disaster of that scale and the need to create new coordination structures in real time.

The storm also produced widespread debris challenges, requiring coordination across multiple jurisdictions and agencies. Officials said the disaster exposed gaps in preparedness for inland communities not typically affected by hurricanes, forcing local governments to adapt quickly.

“It required unique partnerships,” a Tennessee emergency management official said during a regional disaster recovery meeting.

Those partnerships have continued into long-term recovery, with counties, nonprofits and state agencies working together to align rebuilding efforts, share resources and coordinate planning across the region.

The disruption within the industrial park quickly spread beyond its boundaries, affecting small businesses across Unicoi County.

“When you don’t have people working, they’re not spending money,” Montgomery said. “It’s a trickle-down effect.”

Downtown businesses saw significant declines in revenue as fewer customers visited and outside perception of the area suffered, according to Finch.

McInturff said the impact was immediate for local retailers and suppliers, including his own business.

“It did hurt my business,” he said. “I get a lot of materials from the industrial park, and when they’re closed, it affects everything.”

Even as rebuilding continues, economic uncertainty remains.

“A lot of it’s not as good as it has been,” McInturff said.

Bailey said the town saw only a modest dip in tax revenue, noting the industrial park represents a small portion of the overall budget.

“It was about 0.6% of our budget at best,” he said. “Taxes fell off a little last year, but they’re starting to come back now.”

Recovery efforts have been slowed in part by delays in funding, which local officials say has created additional strain on already limited resources.

The town has relied on its own funds to begin recovery work while awaiting reimbursement.

“We had to show money spent before we get money back,” Bailey said.

Finch said federal programs often fall short for commercial and industrial recovery.

“FEMA doesn’t really have a proper segment for manufacturing or commercial businesses,” he said.

Despite those challenges, regional partnerships have brought additional support to long-term recovery efforts. United Way of East Tennessee Highlands, working with partners across Northeast Tennessee, helped secure more than $1.1 million to support long-term recovery groups, including efforts in Unicoi County.

The funding helps sustain case management, coordinate volunteers and address unmet needs as communities continue rebuilding.

Montgomery said that long-term recovery efforts remain focused on helping residents regain stability.

“We want to get people back to good — or even better than before the flood,” she said.

To keep rebuilding on track, local officials continue to increase coordination with business owners and recovery partners.

Bailey said town leaders are meeting regularly with industrial park tenants to align infrastructure work with rebuilding timelines.

“We’re doing face-to-face meetings — sometimes weekly — to make sure we’re working together,” he said.

Still, the pace of recovery remains tied to the flow of funding.

“Money flow is our biggest hurdle right now,” Bailey said. “It will come — it’s just a long process.”

While the financial toll has been significant, leaders say the emotional impact has also been lasting.

“I think the biggest challenge was the mental aspect — being able to cope with it,” McInturff said.

He recalled residents arriving in need of basic supplies in the days after the storm.

“If you see it and you need it, take it,” he said.

Montgomery said volunteers and donations from across the country played a critical role in sustaining recovery efforts.

“It really is a United States effort,” she said.

Even with ongoing challenges, leaders say the county is beginning to stabilize.

“We’re not back to normal yet,” Finch said, “but there’s been surprising success compared to where we started.”

Bailey said it is still too early to identify long-term economic trends, noting that recovery activity only recently began to level off.

Looking ahead, officials expect recovery to take several more years.

“I said from the beginning this was a seven-to-10-year process,” Bailey said. “Now it looks more like five to seven years.”

McInturff said he remains optimistic about the county’s future and encouraged residents to support local businesses.

“That’s our livelihood,” he said. “Ask yourself, ‘Can I buy local?’”

For many in Unicoi County, recovery is no longer measured only in reopened businesses or repaired buildings, but in whether the community that existed before the storm can endure.

“We rose above,” McInturff said. “People stepped up and helped their neighbors. They showed who they are.”

Officials say the outcome of that recovery will determine not only how the county rebuilds, but what it becomes.

For more information on how the United Way East TN Highlands contributes to disaster relief, visit here.