Residents downstream of two North Carolina dams were evacuated due to concerns of catastrophic failures caused by Hurricane Helene’s flooding.

Cocke County, Tennessee, initially reported the failure of Waterville Dam, but this was later deemed a false alarm, though evacuations remained.

In Rutherford County, North Carolina, floodwaters overtopped the Lake Lure Dam, compromising its structure. Despite some erosion, the dam was holding, the Independent has reported.

Evacuation orders were issued for both areas. Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm, has caused widespread flooding and chaos across several states, with at least 41 deaths reported.

Written by B.C. Begley