As Hurricane Helene approaches, the Athens-Clarke County Unified Governments (ACC) is taking proactive measures to ensure safety and preparedness.

But East Tennessee is going to need a lot of help to get its water and power back online, and eventually to reconnect communities where bridges washed out. ➤ Get weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about Hurricane Helene and other weather events now At least two people in East Tennessee have died due to the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Helene,

Organized by the East Tennessee Foundation, the Neighbor to Neighbor Disaster Relief Fund "provides timely disaster grants to nonprofit organizations in our 25-county region in East Tennessee."

North Carolina officials are continuing to advise that drivers do not go out on the roads due to the floods and the structure damage the rising water may have caused, and some of the same advice is true in Tennessee as well.