Claiborne County Office of Emergency Management Homeland Security

10/15/2026

Snapshot: Assessing the scene

Responders in the Response to Controlled Dangerous Substances: Fentanyl, Analogs and Pharmaceutical Based Agents (CDS) course at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness learn to assess an unresponsive individual and test for illegal substances while wearing personal protective equipment.

The CDS course teaches students to assess, identify, and operate in an environment where dangerous substances may be present. The course culminates in a series of hands-on activities, including exercises in the Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological (COBRA) Training Facility.

The course is currently in the pilot stage of implementation. For additional information about the CDS Course or to register for future iterations, visit: https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-941.

10/15/2026

10/13/2026

A big thank you to PVEC for hosting today's First Responders Luncheon! We truly appreciate your support and recognition of the men and women who serve our communities every day. It is always nice to feel appreciated, and events like this remind us of the strong partnerships that make our communities safer and stronger. Thank you for your generosity, hospitality, and continued support of first responders

10/09/2026

1202 PM EDT Friday October 9 2026
..WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT TO 8
AM EDT SUNDAY...

* WHAT...East winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected.

* WHERE...Portions of east Tennessee and southwest Virginia.

* WHEN...From midnight EDT tonight to 8 AM EDT Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree
limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Stronger wind gusts will be possible in higher
elevations.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

10/09/2026

*UPDATE ISAIAS IS CURRENTLY A CATEGORY 3*

Current picture from NHC / NWS:

• Now a Category 1 hurricane with 75-100 mph winds in the Gulf, about 290 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi 

• Expected to strengthen a bit more and make landfall tonight or early Saturday somewhere between Mobile, AL and Destin, FL 

• Forecast track then turns northeast through Alabama/Georgia toward Tennessee

That's why Claiborne County OEM/HS, TEMA, and NWS Morristown are on conference calls.

What it means for Claiborne County
This is the same pattern we saw with the 2020 Isaias — the center stays west but the remnants ride up the Tennessee Valley.

For East TN / Knoxville area, NWS is calling for:
• Widespread rain 1-2 inches, locally higher, with flash flooding possible 

• Wind gusts 30-40 mph on the plateau, up to 70 mph in the higher mountains 

• Heavy rain window Saturday afternoon Oct 10 into Sunday Oct 11, with heaviest south of I-40 but still affecting us 

• A few brief spin-up tornadoes possible Saturday 

After landfall, Isaias is expected to weaken but transition to a powerful post-tropical system that brings heavy rain and gusty winds inland across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee. 

What OEM mentioned
• TEMA mission number opened — that just means the state is tracking costs/resources for this event, standard for any potential state-wide impact.

• PVEC and Point Broadband monitoring — Powell Valley Electric and Point Broadband are staging crews. If we get those plateau gusts, expect scattered outages, especially in tree-heavy hollows.

What to do today
1. Stay on your normal alert source — like OEM said. NWS Morristown, NOAA Weather Radio, and the Claiborne County OEM page will be fastest.

2. Secure loose outdoor items — 30-40 mph will move trash cans, patio furniture.

3. Charge phones/battery packs tonight, especially if you're on PVEC lines or rely on Point Broadband for phone.

4. If you're in a low-lying area near Big Sycamore, Little Sycamore, or Powell River tributaries, watch for that Saturday PM heavy rain.

10/08/2026

601 AM EDT Thursday Oct 8 2026
..Locally Dense Fog Possible This Morning...

Patchy to areas of fog have developed across portions of the area
this morning, especially within and near sheltered river valleys.
In some locations, the fog will become locally dense and reduce
visibility to one-quarter mile or less at times. Locations with
fog will see conditions gradually improve an hour or two after
sunrise. Slow down, use low beam headlights, and allow for extra
distance between yourself and other motorists if encountering fog
during the morning commute.

10/07/2026

🚨 FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) has seat openings for upcoming courses.

Nov. 29-Dec. 5:
• Emergency Medical Operations for CBRNE Incidents (EMO) in conjunction with Intermediate Hands-On Training for CBRNE Incidents (HOT-I) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-267 and https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-900
• Field Force Operations (FFO) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-200
• Framework for Healthcare Emergency Management (FRAME) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/AWR-900
• Hazardous Materials Operations (HMO) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-322
• Hazardous Materials Technician (HMT) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-272

Dec. 6-10:
• Field Force Operations (FFO) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-200
• Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents (HCL) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/MGT-901
• Hazardous Materials Technician (HMT) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-272
• Hazardous Materials Technologies: Sampling, Monitoring, and Detection (HT) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-261

Dec. 13-19:
• Unmanned Aerial Systems Flight Operations for Emergency Response in conjunction with UAS Data Analytics for Emergency Response https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/AWR-422 and https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-407
• Emergency Medical Operations for CBRNE Incidents (EMO) in conjunction with Intermediate Hands-On Training for CBRNE Incidents (HOT-I) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-267 and https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-900
• Hazardous Materials Operations (HMO) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-322
• Hazardous Materials Technician (HMT) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-272
• Public Order and Public Safety: Basic (POPS-B) https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/course/PER-940

Apply soon for these training opportunities. For more information, visit the CDP training calendar at https://cdp.dhs.gov/training-calendar.

CDP training is completely funded for state, local, tribal and territorial emergency responders to include roundtrip airfare, meals, and lodging.

10/07/2026

NASHVILLE — Beginning Oct. 15, Tennesseans must obtain a free burn permit before burning leaves or natural debris or conducting prescribed burns. As wildfire season begins, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF) encourages residents and visitors to observe National Fire Prevention Week by practicing fire prevention and exercising extra caution when burning outdoors. Tennessee averages about 1,000 wildfires each year, burning approximately 18,000 acres.

“More than 90% of wildfires in Tennessee are caused by human activities, including escaped debris burns,” State Forester Heather Slayton said. “That means individual actions matter – choosing to avoid burning on high fire danger days, getting a burn permit, taking steps to burn safely and staying with your fire until it is completely out can make a meaningful difference in preventing destructive wildfires in our state.”

TDF is Tennessee’s lead wildfire agency and is responsible by law for administering the burn permit system. Burn permits help TDF communicate when and where conditions are safe for burning and are issued only when fire danger is at an acceptable level. When hazardous conditions — such as high winds, very low humidity or extremely dry vegetation and debris — increase wildfire risk, TDF temporarily pauses permit issuance until conditions improve.
RELEASE IN COMMENTS

10/07/2026

🌧️🌬️ **POTENTIAL WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST** 🌬️🌧️\
📅 **Saturday, October 10, 2026 & Sunday, October 11, 2026**

🌀 **Tropical Storm Isaias** has formed in the Gulf and is expected to bring **heavy rain 🌧️ and gusty winds 💨** to the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachian region this weekend.

# # # 🌀 What Has Changed?

Our tropical disturbance has now organized into **Tropical Storm Isaias**. Confidence is increasing that the storm could make landfall along the Gulf Coast as a **hurricane late Friday night 🌊🌀**, bringing **heavy rain and gusty winds** to our area beginning Saturday.

# # # 🌧️ What We Know

**💧 Rain:**\
Confidence is increasing that our area will receive rainfall this weekend. **Widespread rainfall totals of 1–2 inches** are possible, with the heaviest rain likely across the **southern Tennessee Valley and upslope areas of the Plateau.** 🌧️🌧️

**⏰ Timing:**\
Rainfall is increasingly likely to begin **Saturday morning** across the southern Tennessee Valley. The highest probability for widespread rain is expected **Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning.** 🌧️

🌬️ The greatest wind threat is expected **Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning.**

**💨 Wind Potential:**\
Strong, gusty winds of **50+ MPH** are possible across the **eastern Tennessee mountains and foothills.** 🌬️🌲

These stronger winds would be driven by a tightening pressure gradient between the surface low track and a wedge of high pressure east of the Appalachians.

⚠️ **The greatest wind threat is currently expected from Saturday through Sunday morning.**

# # # ❓ What Remains Uncertain?

📍 **Exact Rain Amounts & Wind Speeds:**\
The exact track the tropical low takes inland will play a major role in determining **where the heaviest rain 🌧️ and strongest winds 💨 occur.**

⚠️ **Forecast confidence is increasing, but details can still change as we get closer to the weekend.** Stay weather-aware and continue to monitor updates! 📱🌦️

🌧️ **Stay tuned for additional updates as we get closer to Saturday!**\
🌀💨🌧️ **Be prepared. Stay safe. Stay weather aware!** 🌧️💨🌀

09/30/2026

Meeting with lone mountain shores hoa,and ut students working on access roads.