Some less obvious downsides to the recent floods are the cars that are badly damaged and sometime re-sold as well as mold that can develop in areas before you clean them out.
Hundreds of vehicles were either washed away or stuck in several feet of rushing water on Monday and now, some of them could either end up for sale on a website such as Craigslist or on a used car lot waiting for someone to make a purchase.
While damage can be repaired, it can often lead to other problems in the long run.
Officials with AAA said if you are worried about it there are simple clues you can look for. "Things like if you open the trunk and maybe peel back the carpeting on the trunk a little bit ...you might see some water damage or a little bit of rust, look in the roof.. like maybe peel back just a little.. to where you can see where a screw is holding something.. and if there's rust..ask..why would that be rusty," said Don Lindsay of AAA.
Lindsay also suggests checking under the dashboard for signs of water damage and checking websites such as CarFax.com for the complete history on a car you are looking to buy.
If you do make a purchase and you feel a dealer hasn't been honest, you can always file a complaint with the state Department of Consumer Affairs.
Another concern in cleaning up after a flood is mold. Clean-up crews across East Tennessee are racing against the clock to try to keep mold from forming.
According to experts, the first thing people need to do it remove all wet materials from their home or business and let the area begin to dry out.
They also warn homeowners not to forget the unseen areas of their home including the crawl space and duct work which can house mold and mildew. "They say within 24-48 hours it will begin to grow. You need to try to get it in the drying process before you give that mold an opportunity to grow. The conditions are ripe. We've had a lot of wet weather, bacteria in the water and now warm temperatures. So everything is just ripe for mold to grow. So you need to remove all those wet materials from your home," said President of Mold Doctors USA Jeremy Akers.
Mold Doctors said its crews have been working with many customers who said they haven't had flooding problems in the past.