In the Blue Ridge Mountains of northeastern Tennessee, Mountain City is a small town with a rich history and a resilient spirit. Within the heart of Appalachia as the county seat of Johnson County, this community of just over 2,400 residents has long been celebrated for its cultural heritage and stunning mountainous landscapes. In recent years, Mountain City’s embarked on a transformative journey to look for opportunities to improve their community through the Thriving Communities Program, supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Main Street America, and the subgrantee Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP).
Communities Unlimited (CU) has played a pivotal role, leveraging its expertise in Community Sustainability, Environmental Services, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to address Mountain City’s challenges from multiple angles, ensuring the community has access to innovative solutions and comprehensive support.
Mountain City’s journey began with a focus on safety, walkability, and connectivity. Its downtown, anchored by Main Street near U.S. Highway 421, is home to cultural gems like the Johnson County Center for the Arts and the Heritage Hall Theatre. Plans for a bike-friendly, pedestrian-friendly town center aim to link Mountain City to nearby recreational treasures, including the Virginia Creeper Trail, Doe Mountain Recreation Area, and the Appalachian Trail.
Mountain City plans to embrace its surrounding trail system and evolve into a “trail town,” connecting its heritage to its future. Defined by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, trail towns support trail users with services like shops, restaurants, and lodging, while promoting the trail as a valued community resource and tourist destination.
Eric Oberg, Senior Director of Programs at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), highlighted the significance of these efforts.
“Mountain City and this part of Tennessee and Virginia setting themselves up and working together to connect those assets will allow outdoor recreation to become a foundational piece of their long-term economic strategy,” Oberg said. “It’s super exciting.”
The integration of trails is about more than just recreation; it’s about economic transformation. Outdoor recreation assets have proven to drive local economies and create new, revolving, and sustainable opportunities for small businesses.
“Hey, all of a sudden, if I can open a bike shop or I can open an outfitter or a guiding service or, you know, a bar, a restaurant, a brewery, something that the outdoor economy will allow to thrive, Mountain City is going to see people either not leaving or coming home,” Oberg added.
However, Mountain City’s progress faced a significant setback in September 2024, when the remnants of Hurricane Helene brought severe flooding and widespread damage to the region. The crisis shifted the focus of the Thriving Communities Program, as technical assistance providers prioritized recovery efforts. CU’s Russ Garner, Area Director for Field Operations on the Community Sustainability Team, emphasized the importance of stepping back to let the community address immediate needs for several months.
“We wanted to not get in the way,” Garner said. “We wanted them to view us as a resource.”
Later in the fall of 2024, Garner re-engaged with Mountain City to assist in recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. In December, Garner, along with CU’s Environmental Services and GIS teams, went to Mountain City to provide hands-on support and guidance for the city’s recovery initiatives. Madeline Phillips, a Community Environmental Management Specialist, assessed the damage to Mountain City’s wastewater treatment plant.
“We’re in Mountain City to explore opportunities with the CS Team, focusing on economic development and disaster recovery,” Phillips said. “At the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mayor Jerry Jordan explained it was the hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, which caused severe damage across northeast Tennessee.”
During the visit, Wastewater Operator Chris Atwood described the challenges the plant faced. “After Helene, we recovered quickly, resuming treatment within hours, but faced challenges when two feet of water compromised our buildings,” Atwood said. “We operated manually for 14 days and ran on generator power for three weeks, managing tight fuel logistics with emergency officials to secure 220 gallons of diesel daily, ensuring we kept treating to protect Tennessee’s headwaters.”
Phillips added perspective to the site visit, noting, “Seeing the extensive damage, including a three-foot waterline in some areas, impacts to electrical equipment, and issues in the admin building and lab, was eye-opening. We’re here to evaluate the damage and explore funding options to help the plant recover and remain operational.”
The wastewater treatment plant is a cornerstone of Mountain City’s infrastructure while maintaining its responsibility to the entire region’s environment. “We play a role in protecting the environment here,” Atwood said. “We conserve Watauga Lake, a trout stream and a waterway downstream from us. Believe it or not, this is where the Tennessee River begins — everything flows downhill from here. We’re not just protecting our local community; in many ways, we’re protecting all of Tennessee.”
CU’s GIS Project Manager, Trent Neathery, utilized drone technology to document the damage, providing visuals to assist Mountain City with future grant applications and recovery prioritization. “Through drone photography, they can showcase the damage as it really is,” Neathery said. The use of drones also allows the community to plan and capture precise locations and landmarks for the potential trail system, providing valuable insights that could inform future economic development plans.
As Mountain City develops its plans, they are living in the now, and disaster recovery is still a real concern. While volunteers from across the eastern U.S. have joined the effort to repair homes and assist displaced residents, local leadership has been working hard to ensure that the efforts are focused and systematic. Pastor Dwayne Dixon’s church transformed into a local hub called the Johnson County Recovery Group, where they have fed up to 800 people daily and serve as a center for community resources.
“It’s been a lot of hours, but I love this community,” Pastor Dixon said. “I love the people of Johnson County. We are trying to help everyone. We want to have a community that at the end of this has risen to a better standard.”
Garner noted how the disaster spurred new connections within the community.
“The storm kind of brought folks to the table who previously were hesitating coming to the table,” he said. “And so we’re kind of using that synergy to push this forward.”
Strategic blending across CU’s teams also played a crucial role in Mountain City’s recovery.
“This is a unique circumstance,” Neathery said. “I’ve really enjoyed being with other staff members from different departments. We’re able to bounce ideas off each other and come up with a cohesive solution.”
Mayor Jordan praised CU for their efforts in accelerating the rebuilding process for Mountain City and their commitment to finding effective solutions.
“Working with Communities Unlimited has been a new and valuable experience for us,” Mayor Jordan said. “You bring fresh perspectives and expertise in areas like GIS and drone imaging, which have been fascinating and helpful. With everything we’re facing, especially trying to recover from this disaster, the more help we can get, the better. Your support offers a lot of opportunities for our community, and we’re grateful for it.”
As CU and its partners continue their work, Mountain City’s future shines bright. Mountain City is proving that even in the face of disaster, a united community can rise to new heights.
“We want them to view this as the first part of a story of them winning, of a victory."

— Russ Garner