Current:Home > NewsTorrential rains flood North Carolina mountains and create risk of dam failure -Capitatum
Torrential rains flood North Carolina mountains and create risk of dam failure
Ethermac View
Date:2025-04-10 21:26:01
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Days of torrential rains in North Carolina culminating with tropical downpours from what was what Hurricane Helene have officials keeping a close eye on a major dam, the two main interstates in the mountains closed and flooding everywhere.
More than a foot (30 centimeters) of rain has fallen across much of the region in the past several days, setting the stage for an unfolding disaster as Helene moved through as a tropical storm Friday morning. At least two deaths had been blamed on the storm.
The powerful, fast-moving hurricane came ashore late Thursday along the Florida Panhandle and was on top of the mountains 12 hours later. Winds gusted to 108 mph (174 kph) atop Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.
All roads in western North Carolina should be considered closed because it is too dangerous to travel, the state Department of Transportation said. Interstate 40 was closed near Old Fort west of Asheville, and Interstate 26 was shut down south of Asheville near Hendersonville.
Crews have conducted 100 swiftwater rescues as of Friday morning, Gov. Roy Cooper said. About half of them were around Asheville.
“The priority now is saving lives,” Cooper said, adding no one should be on the roads unless they were seeking higher ground.
Officials in Rutherford County were watching Lake Lure Dam because water overtopped the entire length of the dam.
There is some erosion on one side of the dam caused by the overtopping, state Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Kat Russell said Friday.
Town officials are monitoring the erosion, she said.
The lake, which flows into the Broad River, was created nearly 100 years ago. The dam is listed as 480 feet (146 meters) long and about 120 feet (36.6 meters) high.
The dam is “doing what it’s supposed to do, but the water levels are just too high,” Russell said.
Downstream communities have been made aware of the overtopping but have been told they would have several hours to alert residents to their own evacuations if needed, Russell said. The North Carolina and South Carolina state agencies also have received emergency action plans if conditions worsen.
The lake is famous for being the place where some of the scenes from the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing” were filmed.
Roads were washed out preventing first responders from making it to some calls, Buncombe County Assistant Emergency Services Director Ryan Cole said.
That included a mudslide that involved four homes and left an undetermined number of people unaccounted for, Cole said.
“This is the most significant natural disaster that anyone of us has ever seen in western North Carolina,” Cole said.
Downtown Boone saw flooding in areas officials couldn’t recall flooding before. Appalachian State University canceled its Saturday football game with Liberty University, blaming the severe impacts of the weather around the region.
Forecasters were comparing it to the benchmark flood of 1916 which killed 80 people, damaged dozens of miles of railroad tracks and isolated Asheville and other mountain cities for days.
Several rivers were above or near record crests and floodwaters were not expected to recede until at least Monday.
In Biltmore Village, just outside the famous Biltmore mansion, swiftly moving water from the overflowing Swannanoa River reached above the hoods of vehicles. It was a scene emergency officials expected in many other places as all the rain that fell has to flow downhill to the sea.
“It’s terrible. I don’t know if I will ever see anything like this again,” said Spencer Tate Andrews who came down to the area to see the flooding. “Glad I got to see it but at the same time its terrible and its going to affect a lot of people and businesses.”
___
Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
veryGood! (164)
Related
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Taylor Swift breaks concert crowd record in Stockholm with Eras Tour
- Officials identify 78-year-old man as driver in Florida boating accident that killed teen
- These Are the Highest-Rated, Affordable Hoop Earrings From Amazon
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Tick season has arrived. Protect yourself with these tips
- Last student who helped integrate the University of North Carolina’s undergraduate body has died
- Teen who vanished 26 years ago rescued from neighbor's cellar — just 200 yards from his home in Algeria
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- 35 Father's Day Gift Ideas Under $10 That Your Dad Will Actually Use
Ranking
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- North Carolina sports wagers well over $1 billion in first months under new law, report says
- Judge says South Carolina can enforce 6-week abortion ban amid dispute over when a heartbeat begins
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Going Deeper
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Gordon Black, U.S. soldier jailed in Russia, pleads guilty to theft, Russian state media say
- Nancy Pelosi asks for very long sentence for David DePape, who attacked husband Paul Pelosi with hammer
- 35 Father's Day Gift Ideas Under $10 That Your Dad Will Actually Use
Recommendation
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Taco Bell brings back beloved Cheesy Chicken Crispanada for limited time
Why Quinta Brunson Compares Being Picked Up by Jason Kelce to Disney Ride
2024 Academy of Country Music Awards: The complete winners list
The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
Eight years after Rio Olympics, gold medalist Gabby Douglas getting ending she deserves
Iain Armitage on emotional Young Sheldon finale and what's next in his career
Scottie Scheffler arrested before start of Round 2 of the PGA Championship