McDowell County residents can finally return home after overnight evacuation
MCDOWELL COUNTY, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) - McDowell County residents can finally return home after a flash flood emergency prompted an overnight mandatory evacuation for all residents living below Lake Tahoma. The evacuations were in place until 10 a.m. Wednesday.
According to Emergency Management officials, water was spilling around the sides of the Lake Tahoma dam and a landslide occurred on one side of the the dam, prompting a level one emergency.
The dam has not breached at this time.
Related: CFD firefighters deploy to McDowell County following landslide
Officials told all residents in the following areas to evacuate overnight:
Evacuees were told to seek shelter at the YMCA of Marion (near McDowell Hospital), Glenwood Baptist Church, and Old Fort Baptist Church.
FOX Carolina reported a landslide compromised the integrity of the Lake Tahoma Dam. Inspectors continued to evaluate the dam during daylight hours. The evacuation order was in place until engineers determined the dam was safe and the incident stabilized.