Cocke Co. leaders investigating false report that Walters Dam had failed as Hurricane Helene impacted upper East TN [Video]

COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — As Hurricane Helene brought historic flooding to Cocke County and devastated riverside communities in upper East Tennessee, reports swirled that Walter’s Dam had failed and catastrophic floods were inbound for the area.

It turned out not to be true, despite leaders including Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency issuing urgent warnings based on official reports. 

Duke Energy, which operates the dam in Waterville, North Carolina, later issued a statement saying the dam had not failed.

On Friday, Cocke County leaders said they were still gathering information on how false reports were issued. Joe Esway, the director of the Cocke County Emergency Management Agency, said the agency would issue an “After Action Report” once it finishes investigating the incident. A full statement from …