Emily Ann Roberts, runner-up season 9 of The Voice. (Courtesy: WVLT/Emily Ann Roberts)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI/WVLT) Country star and Knoxville native Emily Ann Roberts is headed home to host an album release show at the Bijou Theatre.
Roberts is releasing her full-length LP “Can’t Hide Country” on Friday, Sept. 22, but fans can get a sneak peek a day early at the Knoxville show.
“I can’t wait to celebrate the release of ‘Can’t Hide Country’ in my hometown! These people and this place made me who I am, and I just want to make them proud,” said Roberts.
The album is dedicated to Roberts’s crafting of country music just like what she heard growing up in East Tennessee. It features 13 tracks, 12 of which Roberts wrote.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A rare EF2 tornado is to blame for severe damage Monday in West Knox County.
The National Weather Service confirming an EF2 tornado did touch down in West Knox County from the Yarnell Road to Lovell Road areas. NWS officials say the tornado is the first of that magnitude to touch down in the month of August since 1950.
The EF2 twister was part of severe storms yesterday that caused extreme damage especially in the Cedar Bluff, Lovell Road, and Karns areas.
Officials said windspeeds reached up to 130 miles per hour. The damage from the storm displaced at least 15 people from an apartment complex in Knoxville.
People are still experiencing power outages as well, with the Knoxville Utilities Board reporting nearly 6,000 customers still without power as of 1:00 Tuesday afternoon.
Lovel Crossing Apartments on Lovell Road in Knoxville suffered significant damage after the severe storms on Monday, causing over a dozen people to be displaced.
The Lovell Crossing Apartments complex houses close to 400 people, but more than a dozen of them will be unable to return home due to the extensive damage caused by severe weather. No injuries have been reported, but many residents had to make last minute plans to find a place to stay after the storm tore through the apartment complex.
For the 15 people without a place to stay, the county is using First Baptist Church of Knoxville as a shelter for the time being. Red Cross is also going to take part in assisting those in need who choose to stay at the church.
According to the Knoxville Fire Department, it will likely take weeks, and maybe even months, before anyone is allowed to move back into the apartment complex.
Knox County Engineering and Public Works crews worked through the night to clear more than 200 down trees as several areas in Knox County suffered significant damage after yesterday’s storms. Reports show that Karns, Cedar Bluff, and Lovell Road may have been the hardest hit.
Additionally, residents were forced to clear more than 300 units in an apartment complex off Yarnell Road. KAT buses are helping lead evacuation efforts.
Countywide, few injuries have been reported.
“Quick, hard-hitting storms like this can be scary,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. “Thankfully, our crews and personnel are always prepared for emergencies, and we are able to respond quickly.”
Crews hope to work with utility companies to have all roads open by the end of the day, though the following were still closed this morning:
Bob Kirby Road
Bob Grey Road
Essex Drive
Whitlock Lane
Pleasant Ridge Road
Norfolk Drive.
Clearing roads for emergency access is the top priority. Roadside debris will be picked up in the coming weeks.
“Anyone whose house or apartment was hard hit should call their insurance company right away,” urged Mayor Jacobs. “Together with local government, they will be leading immediate needs assessment and support efforts.”
Knox County, along with other municipalities, has already formed an emergency response team to begin assessing damage, but FEMA could take weeks to approve financial aid, and it could take years for those in need to actually receive any money.
In an event of this size, personal insurance (homeowner, rental, car, etc.) will be the best avenue for reporting and/or recovering any loses or damages. It is highly unlikely there will be an opportunity for individual claims to be filed for federal aid.
Knox County has already begun assembling an emergency response team that will assess damage to submit a request for federal reimbursement of public sector and governmental costs to include things like EPW overtime, debris management, utility work, road repairs, etc. However, it’s more complex than that as FEMA typically won’t reimburse the county for the ordinary costs of business (like road crews doing road work or debris removal during regular working hours).
Reimbursement, if approved, is typically a multi-year process and the county is following the standard reporting processes regularly required by FEMA.
Please call the EPW office at 865-215-5800 to report any trees or debris blocking any road.
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