GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. — It's been almost a month since Greene County was hit by flooding from Hurricane Helene. The heavy flooding left much of the county in limbo and kept many first responders working overtime to help those impacted.
They call themselves Greene County's unseen heroes because they're the first voices those in need hear when in an emergency.
"We're the first responders," said Traci Faney, a dispatcher with Greene County 911.
She was working the weekend Greene County was rocked by Hurricane Helene's historic flooding.
"Phone calls of people stranded, they couldn't get in touch with their loved ones," Faney said.
She said the calls for help came rushing in, just like the damaging flood waters.
"Tree after tree, power lines and then there were fires and it all started to happen before the flood came in," Faney said.
According to the county's dispatch, 15 dispatchers answered more than 3,000 911 calls and more than 4,000 calls from radio traffic within 48 hours. Most of those calls came from people stranded along the Nolichucky River.
"As soon as you hang it you pick it right back up," Faney said. "One of our calls was basically a panic attack."
Faney has worked for Green County dispatch for four years, and she said there's one call she will never forget.
"It was so scary for everybody because she's inside her car and she's caught," Faney said.
An 18-year-old girl was stuck in the floodwaters while going to check on her grandfather.
"Her phone was on the roof so she could keep talking because it was up to her chin," Faney said.
The girl was eventually rescued by search and rescue, with just a few words being a sense of relief for dispatch workers who were doing their best to get the girl to safety.
"They took the phone and said we got her," Faney said.