Hurricane Helene plowed through the N.C. mountains Friday, shutting the region down and leaving thousands without power, with some counties urging evacuations.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Rutherford County, east of Asheville, saying around 11 a.m. that a failure at the Lake Lure Dam was imminent and people below the dam should move to higher ground.
More than a million Duke Energy customers were without power this morning, according to an outage map.
Buncombe County issued a mandatory evacuation order for people along the Swannanoa River from the North Fork Reservoir to Biltmore Village.
Waters have gone over the spillway, the county said.
“Do not delay — take action to protect your loved ones,” said County Manager Avril Pinder. “We understand that evacuation can be challenging, but the safety of our residents is our top priority. We urge everyone in the affected areas to take this order seriously and evacuate as soon as possible.”
Emergency personnel can help with evacuation, she added.