A dam in Lake Lure, North Carolina overtopped due to heavy flooding from Hurricane Helene, prompting evacuations and warnings of potential failure. Concerns about the nearby Walters Dam also led to evacuations in Newport, Tennessee. The Lake Lure dam, located east of Asheville, poses a risk of flooding downstream communities, including those in South Carolina. The dam, operated by the town of Lake Lure, had structural supports compromised but was still holding as of Friday afternoon. The dam is classified as high hazard and was described in fair condition in a 2023 inspection.
The town of Lake Lure has been trying to replace the aging dam and has received grants for the project. Due to heavy rainfall in the area, the dam has been eroding on one side and operators have lost power. Another dam in Tennessee, the Walters Dam, was falsely reported to have suffered a catastrophic failure, causing confusion and evacuation orders. America’s dams are aging and require costly restoration to withstand more intense rainfall in today’s climate. Overall, 283 dams in the U.S. experienced some form of failure from 2013 to 2023, highlighting the need for additional safety measures and infrastructure improvements.
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