Hurricane Helene Devastates Southeast: Chimney Rock NC Faces Imminent Flooding
Hurricane Helene continued its devastating journey through the Southeast on Friday, resulting in widespread power outages and claiming over 20 lives as officials at both federal and state levels began to gauge the storm’s extensive impact.
The storm made landfall at 11:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, unleashing winds of 140 mph after intensifying into a Category 4 storm while traversing the Gulf of Mexico. Helene has now been recorded as the most formidable storm to ever strike Florida’s Big Bend region, particularly near Tallahassee.
After weakening to a tropical storm approximately six hours later, Helene maintained its ferocity, delivering torrential rains and exacerbating flooding as it progressed northeast through Georgia and into the Carolinas. Heavy rainfall resulted in significant flooding in both states, with the chimney rock nc reporting unprecedented flood crests on several rivers in Western North Carolina.
North Carolina Dam on the Verge of Failure; Highways Shut Down
Rutherford County Emergency Management Services issued an evacuation order for residents located below the Lake Lure Dam in Lake Lure, N.C., a quaint mountain community with around 1,400 inhabitants. In a Facebook announcement at 10 a.m. on Friday, officials warned that water was overtopping the dam, signaling a potential collapse.
According to the town’s official website, the dam, built in 1926 by hydraulic engineers Mees & Mees, spans approximately 720 acres and produces hydroelectric power. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that water levels at the Broad River’s Lake Lure Dam had surged to 991.3 ft, exceeding the flood stage and surpassing its normal level of 990 ft above sea level.
As seen in other regions of Western North Carolina, the combination of steep terrain and heavy rain has led to flash flooding. Nestled within Hickory Nut Gorge, Lake Lure is overlooked by Chimney Rock NC, which stands at an elevation of 2,280 ft above sea level.
During a news briefing on Friday morning, Brig. Gen. Daniel Hibner of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicated that, as of 11 a.m., he had not received any reports of dam failures. However, he acknowledged the thousands of susceptible municipal and private dams scattered across the nation.
“In circumstances like this, the saturation from excessive rainfall can jeopardize the structural integrity of levees or dams, and subsequent flash flooding can instigate failures,” he noted. “While I wouldn’t be astonished to hear about a dam failure, I would be surprised if there weren’t several throughout this area.”
Local news from Cocke County, Tennessee, reported that the Waterville Dam has experienced catastrophic failure, prompting County Mayor Rob Mathis to advise residents to seek higher ground and evacuate downtown Newport, Tennessee.
In Charlotte, reports indicated that Duke Energy had activated floodgates at the Cowan’s Ford Dam, while Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management urged local residents to prepare for potential evacuations. Duke Energy, which oversees 11 lakes and 12 hydroelectric facilities in the Catawba-Wateree basin, had preemptively managed high runoff levels by expeditiously moving water through its systems prior to Helene’s arrival, as detailed in a Sept. 26 release.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) advised that all roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed, including Interstates 40 and 26. Social media updates indicated that the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 had been completely washed out.
NCDOT spokesperson Jen Goodwin reported numerous damage reports along I-40 near the state line, extending approximately four miles into North Carolina.
“We have yet to fully assess the extent of damages, and we cannot provide a timeline for repairs,” she stated. “We urge drivers to avoid this area, as detours are not readily available.”
Mark Nagi, the regional communications officer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), confirmed that I-40 East is closed at mile markers 432 and 435 in Cocke County due to flooding.
Widespread Power Outages and Flooding
The storm has left approximately 4.4 million individuals without power, as reported by Ken Buell, deputy director of cybersecurity, energy security, and emergency response at the U.S. Department of Energy. He noted that over 50,000 utility workers from 27 states have been deployed to assist in restoring power.
In anticipation of the storm, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 41 of the state’s 67 counties, expecting substantial damage to critical infrastructure, including highways, bridges, airports, schools, and power grids. Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina similarly issued states of emergency ahead of Helene’s landfall.
By 10:30 a.m., more than 1 million customers in both Florida and Georgia were without power, while over 1.3 million were impacted in South Carolina, according to the online tracker poweroutage.us. Just under 670,000 residents in North Carolina were also without power, alongside 97,000 in Virginia and nearly 75,000 in Tennessee.
Florida Power and Light (FPL) reported that by 6 a.m. Friday, over 65% of its customers affected by the hurricane had their power restored, equating to more than 460,000 customers, with approximately 214,000 still in the dark. FPL mobilized over 10,000 workers from 23 states, stationed at 14 locations for restoration efforts.
Duke Energy, serving areas in Florida and the Carolinas, indicated that by 7:30 a.m. Friday, power had been restored to nearly 198,000 customers, while their 8,000 workers stationed at seven Florida locations continued to work on restoring power to over 400,000 residents.
Aaron Moody, spokesperson for NCDOT, mentioned that several interstates and major roads, alongside numerous secondary roads, had been inundated with floodwaters. Some areas experienced landslides as well, with Moody stating that it was premature to assess the overall extent of the damages.
A significant project impacted by Helene is NCDOT’s Interstate 26 widening initiative in Henderson and Buncombe Counties. Moody confirmed that the interstate remains closed until safe assessments of the damage can be conducted.
“It will take time before we can accurately determine the effects of Helene on the state’s highway infrastructure,” he noted, adding that both I-26 and Interstate 40 have been affected by flooding and landslides.
Crews have been deployed to erect barricades to protect individuals from hazardous areas while also clearing fallen trees and debris from roadways, with assistance arriving from the eastern regions of the state.
In South Carolina, Department of Transportation spokesperson Hannah Robinson stated that over 2,300 personnel have been mobilized to clear downed trees, power lines, debris, and traffic signal outages.
“SCDOT prioritizes interstate and primary routes, especially those serving critical facilities like hospitals,” she noted. “At this time, I do not have an exact number of impacted roads to share.”
The state’s online road condition tracker indicates numerous road closures, primarily in the western sector, centered around Pickens.
Jennifer Pippa, vice president of disaster programs for the American Red Cross, reported that at least 9,400 evacuees are currently housed in 143 shelters, with the Red Cross supporting an additional 45 emergency shelters in collaboration with state emergency operations centers.
