Tennessee's Waterville Dam suffers "catastrophic failure": What we know

Stopthatgirl7@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 153 points – Tennessee's Waterville Dam suffers "catastrophic failure": What we know
newsweek.com

Residents of Newport, Tennessee, have been ordered to evacuate the town "immediately" as heavy rainfall and flash flooding stemming from Hurricane Helene makes its way north.

Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis wrote his Facebook page just before 3 p.m. EST Friday that the Waterville Dam "HAS SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE" and ordered the "EVACUATION ALL OF DOWNTOWN NEWPORT IMMEDIATELY."

Mathis posted about half an hour later that he was declaring a state of emergency for the county, which is located roughly 60 miles east of Knoxville.

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Well fuck, I've got family there.

It’s bad. I’m near the TN/VA/NC border and flooding is everywhere in a four hour radius. Interstates are shut down multiple places. Asheville area is a complete mess. I40 near TN/NC caved in. I have a coworker who had two members in her family that have list houses already.

Same, I work all over the tri-cities and it was a mess out there. They had to airlift 60 people off the Erwin hospital like Katrina. I know someone in Damascus who's whole house up and floated down the creek, they got out with their clothes and some medicine and that's it.

Ok yeah I’m in JC. The Elizabethton hospital is next , 100% evacuated… can it be salvaged? Not my call. It’s horrible overall. Ballad Health has destroyed our overall health care (see US sanctioned largest monopoly) 29 counties TN//NC/KY/VA help me @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world.com you’re my only hope.

Ain't it awful? 20yrs ago JCMC was a good hospital. Now it's a bottom-tier infection nest.

I did a little work on BRMC and it's really no better.

Dang, this is disappointing. I lived in the Ashe county, NC area for about ten years and cannot get ahold of anyone... I think their access to the closest town (mtn city TN) may be cut off with how steep those roads are. The news videos are all about Blowing Rock and Boone. Be safe! Lot of landslide potential.

We were heading to Lenoir Nc from JC TN. It’s just effed up all around. Without being an absolute bitch, I am reiterating “FEMA/Socialism GOOD!” Too all who will listen. 😁 Oh BTW I’m not sure Mtn City has internet!!! Carter /Sullivan county, please connect!!!

My time in Mtn city was that only half the town even had cell phone service haha. Food Lion? Ya, maybe in some of the parking lot. Food City? Nope. I could make a phone call at the bar out by Midway but not in most of the town. Hope you and them fair ok.