Garry Maddox

JOHNSON CITY — The remnants of Hurricane Helene unleashed devastating floods across Appalachia and East Tennessee one year ago, but the storm still rages for many. News crews have long since departed, but the quiet, persistent work of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers continues far from the spotlight, helping people rebuild and recover.

“Over 500 homes were destroyed and another three or 400 homes were damaged bad enough that they couldn’t be lived in until they were repaired,” said, Garry Maddox, coordinator for TBDR’s Arise and Build initiative.

The response from TBDR was immediate. Teams had been put on standby the day before, with the expectation of possible severe wind and flood damage.

“From day one,” Maddox said, “We had DR volunteers onsite in East Tennessee helping people, working with folks and starting to clean up houses. The damage literally covered from beyond Mountain City south to the Newport area and was extensive along the Nolichucky and Pigeon Rivers.” [Read more…]

“This is a team effort involving many volunteers from all over Tennessee,” said Dale Moles, who leads and volunteers wit the TBDR team. – Photos by Katie Shaw

MOUNTAIN CITY — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief stepped in with bridge repair and swift water rescue operations after Hurricane Helene destroyed thousands of private bridges and driveways across Tennessee, leaving families stranded on their own property.

Leading both efforts is Dale Moles, a 70-year-old retired concrete plant owner from Mooresburg who jokes, “I still think I’m only 40.”

Don Owen, director of God’s Warehouse Ministries with the Nolachucky Baptist Association, recalls the moment Moles stepped up to lead the bridge restoration effort. [Read more…]

Mike Hensley, center, director of missions for East Tennessee Baptist Association, recently visited with Oleg and Valentina Ryzhkov after the reopening of their restaurant near Newport. The restaurant was closed for nearly 10 months following Hurricane Helene, but Baptist volunteers helped the couple return to both their business and home. — Photo by Lonnie Wilkey

NEWPORT — Though not a spokesperson for Cocke Countians who lost their homes and possessions due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, many no doubt would agree with the sentiments expressed by Valentina Ryzhkov.

“If it weren’t for the church people, we’d never returned to our business or home,” she said.

Valentina and her husband, Oleg, are a Russian couple who have owned Grill 73, a restaurant on Highway 73 near Newport that serves authentic Russian food, since 2011.

She credits Mike Hensley, director of missions of East Tennessee Baptist Association and its staff, for connecting them with local volunteers. [Read more…]

Knox County DR team shows ‘staying power’ in Del Rio area

Rebuilding efforts at Emilee Berry’s home in Elizabethton following flood damage. The project required a complete home renovation, including new subfloor and insulation installation, full drywall replacement and painting, new tub/shower units and fixtures in both bathrooms, hardwood flooring throughout the main areas with laminate in bathrooms, and replacement of all doors, casings, baseboards, and crown molding.

DEL RIO — Hurricane Helene left behind more than just watermarks on kitchen walls and silt-caked living rooms. It left individuals grappling with homelessness and isolation.

For the Knox County Baptist Association, the disaster became a calling that has stretched nearly a year and counting.

“Whoever expected a hurricane to affect Upper East Tennessee?” said Stanley Roach, who has served as director of missions for the Knox County Baptist Association for 35 years. “You see the same disasters elsewhere, except you don’t ever expect it to hit close to home.” [Read more…]

Gene Cole

CHUCKEY — Gene Cole’s adult life has been defined by responding to disasters, and he plans to continue that mission for as long as he can.

Cole, a Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief (TBDR) volunteer from True Light Church in Jamestown, Tenn., is leading a team in a rebuild project in East Tennessee to help a family whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Helene’s high winds and flooding. Since early 2025, Cole has brought a team nearly every month.

“People need help,” he said. “It’s a chance to serve God. When you see people suffering, you’re willing to endure some discomfort. I think about what Christ endured for me on the cross, and the discomfort of an air mattress doesn’t compare.” [Read more…]

FRANKLIN — Nearly one year after Hurricane Helene devastated East Tennessee, the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief has mobilized extensive resources to rebuild communities across the region.

TBDR has deployed 462 disaster relief teams that logged more than 33,552 volunteer hours since Jan. 1, 2025, in East Tennessee, according to data from Garry Maddox, Arise and Build coordinator for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

The relief efforts have reached 862 families and completed 552 jobs throughout the region. Teams have finished construction on seven houses and have 11 additional teams scheduled to work through the end of the year. [Read more…]

Mike Hensley

NEWPORT — Mike Hensley is well qualified to assess the response of East Tennessee Baptist Association’s 38 churches following Hurricane Helene’s devastation in Cocke County one year ago.

Hensley, director of missions and retired longtime pastor of Swannsylvania Baptist Church in Dandridge, has been involved in the life of the association since 1979.

He is extremely proud of the association’s churches following their response to “the worst disaster I’ve ever seen in the county. “Our churches have reached our community with the love of Christ in a way that I’ve never seen before.” [Read more…]

Fayette Baptist Association saw many homeowners and family members prayed for while the gospel was shared frequently. They also reported that one young mom came to faith in Christ during the week.

ELIZABETHTON — Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene devastated East Tennessee communities, West Tennessee churches continue making the hours-long journey across the state to help rebuild homes and lives through sustained disaster relief efforts.

From building tiny homes to installing siding, to delivering appliances and praying with homeowners, volunteers from multiple counties have coordinated through Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief to address ongoing needs in remote communities often overlooked by larger relief organizations.

“We here in West Tennessee have had a lot of tornadoes and destruction and our Tennessee brothers and sisters have always been eager and willing to help us over here when these things happen,” said Mike Kemper, director of missions for the Gibson County Baptist Association. “So we’re thankful for how they come and their coming also inspires our people to go that direction.” [Read more…]

Denton Baptist Church undergoes amazing restoration

The fellowship hall of Denton Baptist Church in Cosby was unusable for about five months after last year’s flood. Church leaders were unsure if it could even be salvaged but the church continued to meet following Hurricane Helene because the sanctuary was not damaged. — Photo by Mike Hensley

COSBY — “Miracle” is the word Mike Hensley, director of missions for East Tennessee Baptist Association, uses to describe what has happened at Denton Baptist Church in Cosby since Hurricane Helene devastated the county last September.

Church deacon Ronnie Chambers goes a step further. “It was a big miracle,” he maintained. “Only one person could have pulled it off and that was the Lord.”

When Chambers arrived at the church after the flood, he found the church’s parsonage was destroyed and that the back corner of the church had collapsed. “We thought we could never get back in the church. It was absolutely a mess.” [Read more…]