TVA's system of dams along the Tennessee River and its tributaries has been tested by record flooding from Hurricane Helene, which drenched Western North Carolina and East Tennessee as a tropical storm , washing out interstate lanes and trapping residents as small streams in the Great Smoky Mountains suddenly became raging rivers.

The remnants of Hurricane Helene thrashed East Tennessee on Friday, causing catastrophic flooding in several communities near the North Carolina border. The big picture: Towns were evacuated and whole homes were carried away by record-breaking floodwaters.

As communities begin regrouping, they're focusing on finding people who are unaccounted for, reopening roads, ensuring there is safe drinking water and finding shelter for people whose homes are damaged.