Carter County mayor speaks about EMA controversy

Carter County’s mayor is speaking out in an interview with WCYB following a controversy over the county’s emergency management plan and subsequently fired former EMA director Billy Harrell. In December, Mayor Patty Woodby stated during a commission meeting that the county had no emergency plan in place during Helene. It was then discovered that Woodby had actually signed off on an emergency plan in 2021. During the interview, Mayor Woodby attempted to clarify that when she said the county had no emergency plan during Helene, that there actually was a plan, but a physical copy of the plan was not provided to emergency responders. Woody said Harrell should have provided training and was asked if she should have inquired about that before the disaster, she said she takes full responsibility for not being more proactive. Harrell has filed a lawsuit for $1 Million and has also asked Woodby to retain documents for possible litigation.