Lake Lure Dam overflows; officials warn of life-threatening floods
Up the Mountain Tropical Storm Helene Madelin — Western North Carolina has been devastated with major flooding due to Tropical storm Helene. During the night that Helene made landfall in florida, it had brought heavy rain and 90mph winds to the Carolinas resulting some dangerous conditions, especially around Lake Lure. The Lake Lure Dam is near failure as authorities have issued evacuation orders.
Rutherford County Evacuation Orders
Rutherford County Emergency Management has just issued a mandatory evacuation order for those living near Lake Lure to move to higher ground. Water from the Broad River has spilled over the Lake Lure Dam and triggered catastrophic flooding downstream. As of Friday morning, emergency officials say the dam is in “imminent” danger and could fail soon — with catastrophic water levels posing a risk to local residents.
An updated list of affected roads and evacuation areas has been shared to the Rutherford County Emergency Management Facebook page. Those in places like Cleghorn, Union, Green Hill, Harris and Cliffside are most vulnerable. An emergency red cross shelter is available at the Rutherfordton Presbyterian Church located 2525 N Washington St, Rutherfordton, NC.
Multiple flash flood warnings are now in effect across western North Carolina.
The National Weather Service (NWS) posted a number of flood warnings for counties in Western North Carolina, including Avery, Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga — and Boone itself. A Flash Flood Emergency has been issued for Lake Lure Dam downstream areas until 2:30 PM today.
The casualty and other components of property wreck
And already has cost lives in North Carolina. A 4-year-old died due to a car accident in Catawba county on Thursday and in Charlotte one person was killed when a tree crashed onto a home early Friday morning. Other injuries have been reported by Helene’s outer bands of gusty winds and heavy new rain.
The Lake Lure Dam is Cracking
Authorities emphasize the urgency at Lake Lure Dam They have pleaded with residents to heed the warnings and go to safer facilities as soon as possible. Should the dam collapse, it could cause catastrophic flooding for towns and communities downstream of it. Impacted areas include River Creek Campground, Green Hill, Cleghorn and Union.
The Effects of Tropical Storm Helene on the Southeast
LIVE Helene wreaks havoc in Southeast – hurricane was ONCE POWERFUL Wind-driven rain has battered much of the Southeast’s coast, from Florida through North Carolina. Up to 20in (50cm) of rain is forecast in this part of North Carolina alone, prompting officials to warn that the flooding will stretch on into next week.
Conclusion
The risk of the Lake Lure Dam breaching makes a bad situation even worse in Western North Carolina. We ask all members of the public to heed prefectural advisories and be aware of local disaster updates. The sender said that flooding is still the biggest threat, and safety remains paramount during the storm.