COCKE COUNTY, TENN. — The Cocke County Emergency Operations Center will reopen early Friday morning following deadly flash flooding in the area that killed a 64-year-old woman on Thursday. The Cocke County Emergency Management Agency will continue the citizen recovery process as officials assess damage and coordinate assistance.

The woman died after being trapped in rapidly rising floodwaters outside a home in the Centerview/Bybee area, Cocke County Sheriff CJ Ball said. "The water got so high so fast that she got trapped and pulled downstream," he said.

Ball said emergency calls began coming in around 5 a.m. on Thursday, prompting a coordinated response from volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, and emergency management agencies. "Everyone started responding," he said. Officials also reached out to other counties and the state for additional support.

Rescue operations relied heavily on boats, with crews pulling people from cars, homes, and the water itself, according to Ball. "For the most part, people have been rescued by boat," he said.

The Cocke County Swift Water Rescue Team remains on standby to deliver supplies to residents isolated by road conditions and is expected to assist the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the highway department in clearing debris from waterways clogging drainage tiles. The Emergency Operations Center plans to operate phone lines dedicated to damage assessment reporting, health and comfort concerns, and travel conditions. At 5 a.m., the Emergency Management Agency said it would take a few hours to establish and disseminate those phone lines. Officials urged residents to wait until sunrise before traveling and to check on elderly and disabled neighbors.