Hurricane Helene continues to weaken after it made landfall on Thursday in Florida, but impacts from the deadly storm are being felt hundreds of miles to the north in Georgia where Flash Flood Warnings are in effect for the Atlanta metro area.
NEWPORT, Tenn. — An emergency evacuation is underway in Newport, Tennessee, after a dam suffered a “catastrophic failure” amid the torrential rains brought forth by what was Hurricane Helene.
Tennessee Emergency managers are telling everyone in the downtown area of Newport to leave immediately due to the failure of the Walters Dam along the Pigeon River, and the National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Emergency.
The break was reported at 3:30 p.m. ET and NWS officials said a flood wave of water will rush down the Pigeon River over the next three tofour hours, reaching downtown Newport about 6 p.m. ET.
The region has received between 5 and 7 inches of rain so far, with more rain falling, according to NOAA.
Updates to follow as more details become available.