Eight Washington County homeowners who lost both their homes and the land beneath them during the catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 received financial assistance through a donation made possible by Mountain Ways, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Appalachian families in times of crisis.
In a ceremony held at the First Tennessee Development District offices in Johnson City on Wednesday, each of the former residents of the Bumpass Cove community received an equal share of $105,000 raised by Mountain Ways.
“While FEMA provides support for damaged or destroyed homes, the agency does not compensate for the loss of land — leaving these families with no means to return to the property they had lived on for years,” said Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy.
In the aftermath of the storm, Bumpass Cove homeowner Scott Whitson, who lost both his home and his land, approached Grandy asking if other assistance was available.
Although the county could not legally provide the financial support he requested, Grandy raised the issue when Mountain Ways later contacted him inquiring about unmet needs that still existed in Washington County. The First Tennessee Development District soon joined in, and the three groups worked together to get the funds in the hands of the residents just in time for Christmas.
“When Mountain Ways called, we felt the funds could best serve these Bumpass Cove families,” Grandy said. “Mountain Ways and the First Tennessee Development District have really stepped up for us.”
Jerry Caldwell, Bristol Motor Speedway president and a member of the Mountain Ways board of directors, explained that Joe and Jessi Baker created the foundation after the devastating wildfires in Sevier County in 2016. Following Hurricane Helene, the group began raising funds to support the communities recovering from the floods and help fill the gaps when the government and other agencies couldn’t assist.
“They were able to do some great things by coming back and being able to support our friends and neighbors,” Caldwell said. “I’m proud of what they’re doing and so grateful that we’re able to put these resources that were raised to good use and put it in the hands of our friends and neighbors to build their lives back.”
Whitson, who was present at Wednesday’s event with his wife, Sherry, was deeply thankful for the support he and his neighbors have received.
“This all started — not looking for financial help or anything like that,” Whitson explained. “It all started from the conversation of trying to replenish the land from the government standpoint to help rebuild the community.”
There is still much to do before the Bumpass Cove area can welcome property owners back, according to Whitson.
“So, for us now, what’s next? I don’t know,” Whitson said. “We’re still looking for somebody. There has to be a government organization, be it state or federal, that can come in there and say, ‘Let’s replenish this community, build a wall and put the river back where it was.’ That’s what we’re looking for.”
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