In late September 2024, flood damage from Hurricane Helene devastated Northeast Tennessee and Western North Carolina. On September 30, 2024, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee declared the state a disaster and requested federal support. U.S. President Joe Biden declared the area a federal disaster on October 2, 2024. In response to the disaster, the Washington County Long Term Recovery Group was formed in November 2024 to help coordinate recovery, distribute resources, and provide critical information to residents of Washington County, Tennessee.
Following the declaration of FEMA, Tennessee published information about the TEMA response to the disaster.