Flash Flood Warning 09/27/2024 10:14 for North Carolina areas

FFWGSP The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... East Central Burke County in western North Carolina... South Central Caldwell County in western North Carolina... * Until 800 PM EDT Saturday. * At 114 PM EDT, Devastating rainfall of 6-25 inches has occurred since Wednesday evening from Lake Hickory to the Catawba River headwaters, with the highest totals exceeding 2 feet along the Blue Ridge Escarpment across the upper Catawba River watershed. This is resulting in catastrophic and historic inflows into Catawba River reservoirs and this water is being moved through the system from Lake James to Lake Rhodhiss and points downstream. * The latest pool elevations for the upper Catawba River lakes are as follows (Full Pool is 100.0 feet): Lake James: 102.00 feet and steady. Lake Rhodhiss: 105.39 feet and rising steadily. Lake Hickory: 99.24 feet and rising steadily. Lookout Shoals Lake: 104.15 feet and rising steadily. * Based on current rainfall forecasts and conditions, Duke Energy expects Lake Rhodhiss to reach or exceed 110.0 feet later today, which is 10.0 feet over full pond. The current record pool elevation at Lake Rhodhiss is 110.10 feet which occurred in August 1940. Major Flood Stage is 110.0 feet. These lake levels may cause unprecedented, catastrophic flooding of Lake Rhodhiss and possibly adjacent reaches of the Catawba River. HAZARD....Life-threatening flash flooding from dam floodgate releases caused by excessive rainfall. SOURCE...Duke Energy and Burke County Emergency Management. IMPACT...Moderate to Major flooding of the Lake Rhodhiss shoreline and areas along the Catawba River both up and downstream of the lake is imminent. At 104.0 feet...Floodwaters may approach homes and businesses between Morganton and Lake Rhodhiss. Backwater effects will impact several tributaries including Silver Creek and Lower Creek, causing flooding of low- lying areas along the tributaries, including at Antioch Rd. River access points will be flooded, including at Huffman Bridge Rd. The Catawba River Greenway near Morganton is likely flooded as well. At higher stages, some homes at the lower reach of the lake may be impacted by flood waters and evacuations may be required. Significant shoreline flooding is occurring. * Please stay weather aware and monitor lake levels and Duke Energy projections closely for any changes. * For more information on lake levels or dam releases, people are encouraged to visit https://lakes.duke-energy.com or call 1-800-829-5253. * Residents along the Catawba River are encouraged to stay aware of the latest updates from Burke County by signing up for alerts at: http://smart911.com * Burke County Emergency Management, Caldwell County Emergency Management, and Duke Energy are closely monitoring these high flows and pool levels and additional updates will be provided as new information becomes available.