GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) - More than 400 people had to leave a Tennessee campground after heavy thunderstorms led to flash flooding along the Little Pigeon River, officials said.
The Greenbrier Campground in Gatlinburg was evacuated after roughly 8.5 inches of rain fell Tuesday evening, Sevier County Assistant Mayor Perrin Anderson told news outlets. No injuries were reported, but vehicles and debris from the campground were washed downstream by floodwaters, Anderson said.
The Sevier County Emergency Management Agency warned late Tuesday that the middle prong of the Little Pigeon River was rising rapidly and anyone near Greenbrier Island or downstream "may need to seek higher ground immediately."
A temporary shelter was opened at Pittman Center Elementary School, and county officials said 69 people sought refuge there.
Crews went out after daybreak Wednesday to assess damage in the Pittman Center area of Sevier County. Motorists in the area should watch for debris in the roadways, officials said.