Google - Labeled for Reuse The Lake Tahoma dam has been inspected by an engineer and deemed safe for the time being. McDowell Emergency Management says the evacuation order is now cancelled.
Authorities in western North Carolina have canceled evacuations in an area south of the Lake Tahoma dam, which had reportedly been in “imminent danger” of failing. Earlier reports of flooding and mudslides triggered by Tropical Depression Alberto threatened the dam, according to the Weather Channel.
According to earlier reports, the dam, located at a private lake in the mountains, reached “Level 1” of emergency categories, McDowell County Emergency Management officials said — meaning the dam had failed, was failing, or was about to fail, according to federal guidelines. Reports of water spilling over the sides of the damn just after midnight Wednesday morning caused concern, prompting a mandatory evacuation of neighboring towns while the dam was being examined.
McDowell county emergency management reports water is spilling around the sides of Lake Tahoma dam. Evacuations ongoing south of the dam. THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. HEED ALL EVACUATION ORDERS IMMEDIATELY! If you are not threatened by floodwaters, shelter in place.
Local officials said Wednesday morning that an engineer had performed a safety inspection and determined that the evacuation order was no longer needed, according to CBS News, and all evacuation orders were lifted, according to the Weather Channel. McDowell County Emergency Services director William Kehler told NBC News that the mandatory evacuations impacted “several thousand” residents.
McDowell County Emergency Management Deputy Director Adrienne Jones told The Associated Press that five minor injuries have been reported during water rescues since Alberto made landfall. Creeks and streams overflowed their banks and rockslides closed roads all across the county.
CBS Greensboro, N.C., affiliate WFMY-TV reported a mudslide in Old Fort that forced the shutdown of a portion of Interstate 40. WFMY-TV also reported that “forecasters warned that the leftovers of the Atlantic hurricane season’s first named storm were still capable of causing treacherous flooding as heavy precipitation spreads deeper into the nation’s midsection.”
#Breaking #Update #JustIn @AshevillePolice are shutting down portions of Biltmore Avenue in Biltmore Village. They’re warning everyone to stay away from this area as floodwaters continue to rise. @WLOS_13
Two journalists were killed during the storm so far- news anchor Michael McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer, of NBC’s Greenville affiliate WYFF. The two were traveling about 30 miles from Greenville when a tree fell on their news vehicle, according to officials.
“Mike and Aaron were stellar journalists, dedicated to covering news in this market,” John Humphries, WYFF president and general manager, said in a statement. “They were beloved members of our newsroom and we will miss them tremendously. Today is a difficult day, and there will be many more ahead.”
The Washington Post reports that “Alberto made landfall along the Florida Panhandle late Monday afternoon with winds of up to 65 mph. The storm ripped through Southeastern United States, causing thousands of power outages in Alabama.”