KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Historic flooding in East Tennessee knocked out part of the interstate system as Hurricane Helene moved through the area, dumping historic amounts of rain and putting communities underwater.
The storm made I-40 impassable in multiple spots including near the state line, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It also closed dozens of Tennessee roads and closed I-26 near the state line.
Donald Maier, an associate professor of practice at the University of Tennessee’s supply chain program, said the roads are popular routes for freight shipments that move from west to east. He also said shipments that move from north to south would use I-26…