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Residents downstream of two North Carolina dams were ordered to evacuate immediately after reports that the structures were at risk of failure due to flooding and flooding from Hurricane Helene.
The Waterville Dam in Tennessee, which is across the state line from Newport, North Carolina, has been declared a state of emergency. Residents in Newport, a town of 7,000, were ordered to evacuate Friday evening.
Earlier in another part of North Carolina, Rutherford County emergency management officials warned residents below the Lake Lure dam to evacuate due to an “imminent failure” — but later said the structure was being held.
At least 42 people have died after Helene slammed into Florida as a 140mph, Category 4 hurricane late Thursday, battering the west coast with “unsurvivable” conditions including 15ft storm surge. Helene has since been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone but is still packing “life-threatening” conditions as it plows north.
Seven deaths were reported in Florida, and a total of 15 people died in Georgia, including emergency responders. Another 19 deaths were reported in South Carolina including two people who died when trees fell on their homes early Friday morning. North Carolina reported two deaths.
Late Friday, Helene moved north toward Louisville, Kentucky and threatened more dangerous downpours over the Appalachia region.
The US is mobilizing more than 1500 federal personnel to support affected communities, the VP said
Vice President Kamala Harris gives an update on Hurricane Helene during a news conference in Arizona.
“We have food, water, generators ready for deployment,” Harris said. “We are working to restore power to the millions of people currently experiencing blackouts.”
Still, Harris said, the damage from the storm is far from over. “Storms continue to be dangerous and deadly,” he said.
Michelle Del Rey28 September 2024 03:59
More than 150,000 people in Kentucky were without power when the storm hit
After hitting the East Coast on Thursday night, Hurricane Helene, now a post-tropical cyclone, headed toward Kentucky, forcing thousands of residents there to lose power, according to poweroutage.us.
Wind gusts reached 50 to 60 mph and some residents in the state reported downed trees and other damage, Lexington Herald-Leader reported. In Central Kentucky, two schools – Christ the King School and Lexington Catholic High School – sent students home early.
Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in eight counties, including Boyd, Breathitt, Clark, Clay, Lee, Letcher, Magoffin and Wolfe. Four cities are also under a state of emergency. They are: Ashland, Catlettsburg, Clay City and Winchester.
Michelle Del Rey28 September 2024 03:39
TN Highway Patrol said the flood has washed away the road
Flooding has the potential to endanger infrastructure in East Tennessee, the agency confirmed in an X dispatch.
“Please be very careful if you must travel,” the statement read. “We stand with the community and our partners as we continue to work together to overcome this traumatic time.”
Michelle Del Rey28 September 2024 03:26
Lake Lure Dam in North Carolina continues to hold and is structurally stable
Olivia Stewman, the city manager of Lake Lure, said the structural engineer found the dam in “stable condition,” although the report had been damaged earlier on Friday, NBC News reported. The dam lost power on Friday, but power has since been restored.
Michelle Del Rey28 September 2024 03:18
Drinking water service is shut down in Pinellas County
Pinellas County Utilities will limit potable water service on the barrier island from John’s Pass south to Fort De Soto beginning at 8pm due to storm-related damage and flooding.
The county said the problem will pose a health and safety risk to all residents and businesses in the area for the next several days.
“We are asking residents who have not evacuated at this time,” the district said.
Michelle Del Rey28 September 2024 02:49
One person in Virginia has died from a falling tree
Gov. Glenn Youngkin says one person in southwest Virginia is dead after a tree fell and a building collapsed in Craig County.
Michelle Del Rey28 September 2024 02:25
Dam near North Carolina-Tennessee border not experiencing ‘catastrophic failure’
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency confirmed the Walters Dam near Newport did not fail. Still, Cocke County residents were told to evacuate.
Northeast Tennessee continues to be affected by flooding. People living in flood-prone areas should seek higher ground, evacuate if ordered, and stay informed of the evolving situation, the agency said.
Michelle Del ReySeptember 28, 2024 02:13
Over 500,000 without power in Florida
Poweroutage.us reported 568,861 were without power in the sunny state nearly 24 hours after Hurricane Helene made landfall.
Michelle Del Rey28 September 2024 01:33
The death toll in South Carolina has risen to 19
Five people were reported dead in Spartanburg County.
Spartanburg County Corner Rusty Clevenger said he can’t remember another storm that has caused as many deaths as Helene, The Post and Courier reports.
Michelle Del Rey28 September 2024 01:12
A mother and twin children among the dead in Georgia
A 27-year-old mother and her two 1-month-old twins died when a tree fell on their home in Thomson, Georgia McDuffie County Coroner Paul Johnson told AP.
The coroner said an 89-year-old woman died when trees fell on her home elsewhere in the same county.
Michelle Del ReySeptember 28, 2024 00:52
