CHARLOTTE — Emergency officials have issued voluntary evacuation orders Friday along the Catawba River System as they move rainwater accumulated from Helene.
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Gaston County Emergency Management said Mountain Island Lake levels are expected to rise 10 feet above maximum levels. Because of that, there’s a voluntary evacuation order in place for the Nivens Cove neighborhood that’s next to the lake.
Gaston County officials are issuing a voluntary evacuation for the Nivens Cove neighborhood adjacent to Mountain Island Lake. Lake levels are expected to rise 10 feet above maximum levels @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/0EAPftPVrz
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) September 27, 2024
In a post on social media, authorities said Duke Energy would move the rainwater from Lake Norman to Lake Wylie through Mountain Island Lake.
A flash flood warning has been issued ahead of the move. Officials said flood waters will rise rapidly and conditions will change quickly.
A shelter is being set up for anyone who needs a place to stay. Head to the Tuckaseegee Rec Center at 4820 Tuckaseegee Road. But if you are in immediate danger, call 911.
A source familiar with the situation told Channel 9 that officials will open the dam near Mountain Island Lake at 5 p.m. Friday.
Officials are going door to door to tell neighbors about the rising water. Anyone living near Mountain Island Lake should watch their emergency notifications for any more evacuation instructions.
Authorities in Gaston County said they’re moving their emergency shelter to Belmont Middle School at 1020 South Point Road in Belmont.
Our facilities and greenways may have flooding and trees down. Please use caution throughout the weekend.
— Mecklenburg County (@MeckCounty) September 27, 2024
If you see flooding or debris in our parks, preserves or greenways, call 3-1-1 or report them online: https://t.co/h8kzW65rU7
‘Watch the house flood ... tell it goodbye’
A voluntary evacuation was already ordered for the low-lying Riverside Drive on Thursday. The neighborhood sits along the Catawba River.
By mid-afternoon, the water on Riverside Drive was several feet deep. Garages were nearly submerged and campers in the neighborhood looked like they were about to tip or float away.
Robert Brown loaded as much into his camper as he could and got to high ground.
“I am going to sit back, go down in a little while, watch the house flood, take a few beers with me and tell it goodbye,” Brown told Channel 9′s Joe Bruno.
Soon everyone living in the red zone from Lake Norman to Lake Wylie could be in a similar situation as Duke Energy prepares to move massive amounts of water through the Catawba River System.
The situation brings flashbacks to 2019, when dozens of Riverside Drive homes flooded. The county ended up spending millions for buyouts and repairs.
“They say Duke’s supposedly opening up the floodgates at Cowans Ford [Dam] and if that’s true, it will get me,” Brown said.
There will be a time to think about the future of these homes. Right now, Brown is just trying to grasp what’s happening.
“Just another day you got to fight it,” he said. “Life ain’t easy.”
Multiple rescued from flooding Friday morning
Much of North Carolina and South Carolina were drenched by rain on Thursday, and the tropical weather Friday morning added to flooding concerns.
As rivers and creeks rose, so did the number of water rescues Friday morning.
In northwest Charlotte, Channel 9′s Eli Brand followed emergency crews wading through high water along Riverside Drive to help neighbors after a voluntary evacuation was ordered. But just before 4 a.m. Friday, a National Guard truck ended up getting stuck in the water.
This is the current situation on Riverside Drive in Northwest Charlotte. Feet of water is already flooding homes. The area has been under a voluntary evacuation order for hours. A high water vehicle is now in the water. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/ljuVUYr4c5
— Eli Brand (@EliBrandTV) September 27, 2024
Neighbors told Brand they’re waiting for the worst of the weather.
“I don’t know how we feel about it yet, because it’s a little scary. It’s kind of like one of those things that people tell you about. And I’m just kind of hoping for the best,” said Christopher and Whitney Olivares, who live on Riverside Drive.
More than four inches of rain had fallen as of Friday morning west of Charlotte, with more rain on the way, according to Severe Weather Center 9. Helene, which was downgraded to a tropical storm just before 5 a.m. Friday, brought several more inches of rain, with more precipitation in the mountains.
Channel 9′s Ken Lemon spotted an abandoned car in Gaston County as the South Fork River gradually ticked up toward the streets in Cramerton.
The National Weather Service reported early Friday that some people were rescued from floodwater in Burke County. Firefighters in Morganton went door to door warning people that Friday morning’s flooding could be dangerous, and people seemed to be taking that seriously.
“I’ve had to walk through this water way up above my waist, it’s going to be real bad,” Harold Wilson told Channel 9.
A shelter was open for Burke County residents at the Oak Hill United Methodist Church. There is also a shelter at the Citizens Resource Center in Dallas.
Stay updated on weather conditions with Severe Weather Center 9 at this link.
(WATCH: Voluntary evacuation ordered for northwest Charlotte neighborhood)
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