As Helene weakens into a tropical storm, its strong winds and downpours continue to cause problems across the Southeast U.S., notably in North Carolina, where at least one county has ordered evacuation.

Rutherford County Emergency Management has instructed residents in certain areas to evacuate to higher ground due to the water spilling over the Lake Lure Dam, according to a government office Facebook update posted Friday morning.

Emergency management officials indicated in an 11 a.m. ET Facebook update that the failure of Lake Lure Dam was “imminent.” By 1:30 p.m., they reported that “water is flowing over the Dam and around the side walls,” in a follow-up post.

According to the post, “Structural supports have been compromised, but the Dam wall is currently holding.” Evacuations were carried out from the Dam to Island Creek Road, with evacuation sirens sounding downstream. Emergency responders are collaborating with structural engineers and conducting door-to-door checks to ensure that all residents have evacuated. Evacuees are being temporarily relocated to Ingles in Lake Lure.

These updates followed a report by Rutherford County Emergency Management regarding “catastrophic flows along the Broad River into Lake Lure,” leading to significant flooding downstream, as per the National Weather Service (NWS).

Officials have shared a list of roads where evacuations are mandated. Residents can check the Rutherford County Emergency Management Facebook page for further details.

Emergency management is also advising residents who are outside evacuation zones to stay indoors as “roads are dangerous due to a significant number of downed trees and power lines,” according to a Facebook update shared Friday afternoon.

The dam is located about 30 miles southeast of Asheville.

Flood Warnings Have Been Issued

Several counties and towns in Western North Carolina, including Avery, Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga, Wilkes, and Boone, are under flood warnings.

A tragic incident occurred in Catawba County on Thursday when a 4-year-old was killed and several others injured in a crash related to the outer bands of Helene affecting the state. Additionally, in Charlotte, a tree fell on a home early Friday, leading to one fatality and another person hospitalized, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

“This was a storm-related death,” said Capt. John Lipcsak, a spokesperson for the fire department, during an interview with YSL News.

Predictions of ‘Catastrophic, Life-Threatening Flooding’ in Western North Carolina

The NWS had previously informed the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the YSL News Network, that the outer rain bands of Hurricane Helene were expected to reach Western North Carolina on Thursday, adding another six to ten inches of rain and strong winds to the area.

Prior to the storm making landfall, NWS Meteorologist Clay Chaney urged residents in the region not to underestimate the severity of the conditions, warning of potential “catastrophic, life-threatening flooding.”