Flash flooding in Cocke County on Wednesday caught motorists and locals alike by surprise, with E911 operators fielding nearly 30 calls from the area.

As many as 3,000 people died as the dikes around Lake Okeechobee gave way to a wall of water, 20 feet in some places.

Those we spoke with in the Hartford/Grassy Fork community had fears of ‘here we go again’ as heavy rains fell in the Cocke County area for part of the afternoon Wednesday. The rain ...