A North Carolina dam that forced evacuations of more than 2,000 people after it was hit by a landslide is no longer in danger of collapsing, as weather experts issue flash flood watches across several states.
Residents living below the Lake Tahoma dam in McDowell County were told to evacuate after mudslides triggered by heavy rain from Hurricane Alberto hit the side of the dam.
Forecasters warned that the leftovers of the Atlantic hurricane season’s first named storm are still capable of causing treacherous flooding as heavy precipitation spreads deeper into the nation’s midsection.
A North Carolina dam that forced evacuations of more than 2,000 people after it was hit by a landslide is no longer in danger of collapsing.
Residents living below the Lake Tahoma dam in McDowell County were told to evacuate after mudslides triggered by heavy rain from Hurricane Alberto hit the side of the dam
Photos shared by the Asheville, North Carolina, fire department showed flooded roads and streets as first responders (pictured) worked to block off affected areas
Asheville police have shut down portions of Biltmore Avenue in Biltmore Village due to rising floodwaters. Authorities warned locals to stay away from the area
About 2,000 people were evacuated after emergency managers said the Lake Tahoma dam was in danger of ‘imminent failure’.
Just before dawn on Wednesday, McDowell County Emergency Management deputy director Adrienne Jones said the dam had not failed, but an engineer who had inspected the scene was concerned enough to order the evacuation until the dam could be examined in daylight.
Jones said about 200 residents were in three shelters, set up in Marion, Old Fort and Glenwood.
Officials said during a press conference that the dam was inspected Wednesday morning.
Authorities reiterated that the dam was at no time breached or leaking water, adding that the evacuations were a precautionary measure
Flash flood watches are in effect for parts of several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia. This image shows flooding of the Swannanoa River Road in Asheville, NC
Officials said during a press conference that the dam was inspected Wednesday morning. Authorities reiterated that the dam (pictured) was at no time breached or leaking water, adding that the evacuations were a precautionary measure
Lake Tahoma is a private lake in the mountains, in McDowell County, located 1,358ft above sea level
She said five minor injuries have been reported during water rescues as creeks and streams overflowed their banks and rock slides closed roads.
Flash flood watches are in effect for parts of several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia.
Photos shared by the Asheville, North Carolina, fire department showed flooded roads and streets as first responders worked to block off affected areas.
Asheville police have shut down portions of Biltmore Avenue in Biltmore Village due to rising floodwaters.
Authorities warned locals to stay away from the area.
A local Old Fort resident recorded video of multiple cars and first responders driving down a flooded downtown street.
Lake Tahoma is a private lake in the mountains, in McDowell County, located 1,358ft above sea level.
The National Weather Service (NWS) of Greenville-Spartanburg said scattered to numerous thunderstorms will develop throughout Wednesday and produce occasional cloud-to-ground lightning and heavy rainfall.
The service also warned of gusty winds that could potentially knock down trees.
‘We’ve said before and we’ll say it again – flash flooding is DEADLY SERIOUS! If a warning is issued, take action immediately!’ the NWS said in a tweet Wednesday morning.
According to media reports the mudslide also led to the closure of a portion of I-40, leaving several people trapped in their vehicles in the road.
A television news anchor and a photojournalist were killed Monday while covering the weather, when a tree became uprooted from rain-soaked ground and toppled onto their SUV, authorities said.
The NWS of Greenville-Spartanburg said scattered to numerous thunderstorms will develop throughout Wednesday and produce occasional cloud-to-ground lightning and heavy rainfall
The service also warned of gusty winds that could potentially knock down trees
Much of Asheville, North Carolina, remains under a flash flood watch (yellow) as other parts of the state have been warned of potential cloud-to-ground lightning (orange)
The storm caused more than 25,000 power outages in Alabama on Tuesday, a day after making landfall on the Florida Panhandle.
Many of the outages were caused by trees rooted in soggy soil falling across utility lines.
‘We’ve had a lot of rain, but we got lucky. It was a constant rain but not a heavy rain,’ said Regina Myers, emergency management director in Walker County northwest of Birmingham.
Subtropical storm Alberto rolled ashore Monday afternoon in the Florida Panhandle before quickly weakening to a depression.
By Tuesday morning, beachcombers had returned to the white sands of the Northern Gulf.
Some areas in the Carolinas reported rainfall over 6 inches in the mountains
More rain expected is expected throughout multiple states on Wednesday
This forecast shows predictions for Wednesday’s weather for parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina
WYFF-TV of Greenville, South Carolina, said news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer died in the incident.
‘Two journalists working to keep the public informed about this storm have tragically lost their lives, and we mourn with their families, friends and colleagues,’ North Carolina Gov Roy Cooper said in a statement.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said as tropical storm Alberto’s weakening system will move inland on Wednesday, but it still remains a potential menace.
In Cuba, flooding damaged an oil refinery and caused crude oil to spill into Cienfuegos Bay as the remnants of Alberto continued to drench the island in heavy rain.
State-owned TV showed authorities using barriers Tuesday to try to contain the spill from the Cienfuegos refinery in central Cuba about 150 miles southeast of Havana.
Alberto was more of a rainstorm than a wind threat, but the National Weather Service said at least one tornado had been confirmed.
The weather service said its meteorologists confirmed that a weak tornado with maximum winds of 85mph hit an area around Cameron, South Carolina, on Monday afternoon. No one was hurt.