Erwin, Tennessee is amongst the list of cities crippled by the effects of Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee. Photos and videos of the area taken before and after rising and swift floodwaters infiltrated this small town showcase the community's devastation The resulting images along with news of the floods pushed Erwin into the spotlight in the last week.

Douglas Dam was spilling a record amount of water, 450,000 gallons a second. The Nolichucky Dam withstood twice the water flow of Niagara Falls.

Across Eastern Tennessee, people are connecting on social media to help clear out ruined furniture, scrub off mud, and deliver jugs of water so people can flush toilets.

It's a new problem in an important election year. "We are confident that the challenges caused by the flooding will be overcome."

Here's a look at Tennessee and North Carolina communities affected by the storm, as captured by USA TODAY Network photojournalists.