DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — Douglas Lake was filled with debris after Hurricane Helene came through East Tennessee, but a year later, the cleanup process is complete.

The Tennessee Valley Authority headed up the cleanup efforts on the lake. Crews removed more than 177,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris and nearly 3,000 tons of manmade debris.

Dandridge residents Caroline and Marian said the initial damage was shocking.

"When we went down and looked at the debris after Hurricane Helene, we knew it would be impossible to even get into the water," Caroline said. "There were like tons and tons and tons of huge great big trees."

Now that the cleanup is complete, a sense of normalcy has returned.

"I kind of got cut off from Shady Grove Boat Launch for a while, but I'll tell you I walked my

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