Hurricane Helene Alerts

Hurricane Helene updates

Ballad Health has activated its Corporate Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) due to issues caused by severe weather. Flooding, high winds and power outages continue to create problems throughout the Appalachian Highlands.

View all location closures.

View the Flood Safety Tips and Recovery Guidelines.

Free counseling for people affected by Hurricane Helene

The emotional and mental toll from Hurricane Helene has deeply impacted our region. In partnership with Frontier Health, East Tennessee State University and the American Red Cross, Ballad Health is providing free counseling and health-related support to those affected by the storm.

Learn more about free counseling services.

Car seats for flood victims in partnership with Ollie Otter Foundation

The Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network received 400 car seats from the Ollie Otter Child Safety Foundation to benefit families affected by the Hurricane Helene floods. Learn more or find out how to apply for a free car seat here. 

24/7 Advanced urgent care clinic opening in Unicoi County

Ballad Health Medical Associates will open a 24/7 advanced urgent care clinic in Unicoi County on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 1 p.m. to continue providing uninterrupted, critical healthcare services to the community. The Medical Response Unit, which was established in the days following the Hurricane Helene floods, will transition to the advanced urgent care clinic on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Learn more about Advanced Urgent Care – Erwin.

Contact Advanced Urgent Care – Erwin

Advanced Urgent Care – Erwin expands access to urgent care services with 24/7 board-certified physician coverage. No appointment is needed, and walk-ins are welcome. The clinic can be reached at (423) 735‑4750.

Boone McCrary Scholarship Fund T-shirts

We are offering "Appalachia – Strong as the Mountains" T-shirts to honor the memory of Boone McCrary, a team member who lost his life due to Hurricane Helene. These shirts are on sale in all hospital gift shops and online for a limited time. Proceeds will benefit the Boone McCrary, RN Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Hospitals in Greeneville, Elizabethton and Kingsport are all fully operational

• Greeneville Community Hospital, Sycamore Shoals Hospital, Indian Path Community Hospital and Holston Valley Medical Center – each of which had services impacted by the disaster – are all now fully operational
• Elective surgical services at Greeneville Community Hospital resumed on Tuesday, Oct. 8

Laughlin Healthcare Center services remain suspended, plans to reopen this week

• Residents from Laughlin Healthcare Center in Greeneville, who were evacuated to Wexford House in Kingsport due to unstable utilities in Greeneville, will return to Laughlin on Thursday, Oct. 10. Laughlin Healthcare Center will be fully operational at that point.

Nursing skills fairs canceled for October

• Mandatory licensed nursing skills fairs scheduled in October have been canceled

Medical Response Unit operations continue in Erwin, TN

Located in the auditorium parking lot of Unicoi County High School in Erwin, the site provides 24/7 first aid, triage for minor illnesses and injuries, and stabilization including:

• Basic treatment of infections
• Stabilization and transfer for trauma and serious conditions
• Respiratory infections
• Skin infections

Located at 700 S. Mohawk Drive in Erwin, TN. Unicoi County Hospital team members will be staffing the unit around the clock until further notice.

Unicoi County Hospital closed until further notice

Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin has suspended operations and has evacuated patients. All patients and team members were successfully rescued from Unicoi County Hospital on Friday, Sept. 27. Affected patients have been transferred to Johnson City Medical Center, and their families have been updated. The hospital remains closed until further notice. Ballad Health will assess the damage once flood water recedes and provide updates on the status of the facility. We will ensure all current and future patients can access care at neighboring facilities.

Support through Ballad Health Foundation

Ballad Health Foundation, the charitable arm of Ballad Health, is collecting disaster relief donations to support people in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia impacted by Hurricane Helene. All financial donations will stay local, and 100% of funds raised will be used to support people in our community, Ballad Health patients and team members. Click the button below to learn more and make your donation today.

Donate Now

We also have a text option: text “disasterrelief” to 44834 to make a gift.

Flood recovery safety guidelines

Fatalities can occur in the aftermath of major floods due to preventable safety risks. Please take every precaution to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Learn how to keep yourself safe if you’re involved in recovery efforts with our flood recovery safety guidelines.

For health and safety questions or concerns related to flooding or power outages due to the hurricane, call the Northeast Regional Health Office’s Citizen Information Line at (423) 979‑4689, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

View all Ballad Health location closures

If you’re having trouble viewing closures, use this link to see our updates.

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24/7 Virtual urgent care options near you

Hurricane Helene has made travel difficult. If you have internet or mobile service, you can safely connect with a Ballad Health care provider in minutes. Try our Virtual Urgent Care to get the care you need without leaving the house. 

Want to start a visit now? Click one of the buttons below.

Contact us

For questions, please contact the Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center at BalladHealthCorporateEOC@BalladHealth.org.