Helene triggers deadly floods as death toll rises; Tennessee dam break imminent: Live updates
Thousands told to evacuate their homes in North Carolina after storm Helene shifts north
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Residents downstream of two dams on the North Carolina-Tennessee border were told to urgently evacuate after reports that the structures were at risk of failure due to flooding and deluges from Hurricane Helene.
The Waterville Dam in Tennessee, which sits across the state line from Newport, North Carolina, was declared a state of emergency. Residents in Newport, a town of 7,000 people, were ordered to get out on Friday afternoon.
Earlier on Friday in another part of North Carolina, Rutherford County emergency management officials warned residents below the Lake Lure dam to evacuate due to “imminent failure” - but later said the structure was holding.
At least 42 people have died after Helene crashed into Florida as a 140mph, Category 4 hurricane late Thursday, pounding 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.
There were seven deaths reported in Florida, and a total of 15 people died in Georgia, including an emergency responder. Another 19 deaths were reported in South Carolina including two people who died when trees fell on houses Friday morning. North Carolina reported two deaths.
By late Friday, Helene was moving north towards Louisville, Kentucky and threatening more dangerous downpours over the Appalachia region.
More than 150,000 people in Kentucky without power as storm hits
After hitting the East Coast on Thursday night, Hurricane Helene, now a post-tropical cyclone, made its way toward Kentucky, forcing thousands of residents there to lose power, according to poweroutage.us.
Wind gusts reached 50 to 60 mph and several residents across the state reported fallen trees and other damage, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. In Central Kentucky, two schools — Christ the King School and Lexington Catholic High School — sent students home early.
Governor Andy Beshear has 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.
TN Highway Patrol says flooding has washed away roads
Flooding has potentially put infrastructure at risk in East Tennessee, the agency confirmed in a X post.
“Please use extreme caution if you must travel,” the statement reads. “We stand with these communities and our partners as we continue to work together to get through this traumatic time.”
Lake Lure dam in North Carolina continues to hold and is structurally stable
Olivia Stewman, the Lake Lure town manager, said a structural engineer found the dam in “stable condition,” despite reports it had been damaged earlier on Friday, NBC News reported. The dam lost power early Friday, but power has been restored.
Potable water service shut down in Pinellas County
Pinellas County Utilities will restrict potable water service on the barrier islands from John’s Pass south to Fort De Soto starting at 8pmdue to storm-related damages and flooding.
The county said the issue will pose a health and safety risk to all residents and businesses in the area for the next several days.
“We are asking any residents who have not yet evacuated to do so now,” the county said.
One person in Virginia has died from a falling tree
Governor Glenn Youngkin said one person in southwestern Virginia died after a tree fell and building collapsed in Craig County.
A dam near North Carolina-Tennessee border is not experiencing a ‘catastrophic failure'
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is confirming the Walters Dam near Newport has not failed. Still, Cocke County residents are being ordered to evacuate.
Northeast Tennessee continues to be impacted by flooding. People living in a flood prone area should find higher ground, evacuate if they are told to, and stay informed of the evolving situation, the agency said.
Over 500,000 without power in Florida
Poweroutage.us is reporting 568,861 are without power in the sunshine state nearly 24 hours after Hurricane Helene made landfall.
Death toll in South Carolina rises to 19
Five people are reported dead in Spartanburg County.
Spartanburg County Corner Rusty Clevenger said he couldn’t remember another storm that had caused as many deaths as Helene, The Post and Courier reports.
A mother and twin sons among those dead in Georgia
A 27-year-old mother and her two 1-month-old twins were killed when trees fell on their house in Thomson, Georgia McDuffie County Coroner Paul Johnson told the AP.
The coroner said an 89-year-old woman was killed when trees fell on her house elsewhere in the same county.
Hurricane Helene downgraded to post-tropical cyclone
According to the AP, Hurricane Helene has been downgraded from a tropical depression to a post-tropical cyclone.
The hurricane center said it expected the storm to continue producing heavy rain in the area and cause severe flash-flooding as a result.
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