RALEIGH, N.C. (WFMY) -- Governor Roy Cooper has declared a State of Emergency for western North Carolina.
Parts of the region have been hit hard by both flooding and mudslides in multiple communities. A mudslide Tuesday night closed portions of I-40 east of Asheville and triggered evacuations of Old Fort and a community near Lake Tahoma in McDowell County.
The State of Emergency will help the state coordinate storm response and prepare for any additional impacts. The Governor will also issue a transportation waiver to expedite the movement of utility vehicles and others engaged in relief efforts.
PHOTOS | Flooding in Western NC Causes Havoc
Within the last 24 hours, four to seven inches of rain fell across portions of the mountains adding to the already heavily saturated ground. Areas along the Blue Ridge have received 10-20” of rain since May 15th, making conditions favorable for downed trees and mudslides.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue for the next several days, continuing the threat of flash flooding across the mountains. Primary concerns right now are the stability of mountain slopes and several dams. Mudslides have occurred in numerous areas. Local and state officials are closely monitoring the dams at Lake Lure, Lake Tahoma, Lake Tuxedo and North Fork Lake and are sending state dam safety engineers to areas of concern.
State and local officials are keeping a close watch on rivers across western NC, where several rivers are currently experiencing minor flooding and the French Broad River at Blantyre is forecast to experience moderate flooding later today.
A mandatory evacuation of downtown Old Fort was ordered, Tuesday night, due to extensive flooding and of the area below the Lake Tahoma Dam. A voluntary evacuation for Chimney Rock was also requested. A licensed care facility and mobile home parks in Buncombe also were evacuated. An engineer inspected the Tahoma dam Wednesday and local officials canceled the evacuation order around 10:30 a.m.
Overnight the state deployed more than 50 search and rescue technicians. A combination of swift water rescue and urban search and rescue teams from Greensboro, Mooresville and Charlotte are being sent to McDowell, Rutherford and Jackson counties to help with any potential rescues.
More than 200 people have sought refuge in one of six shelters. Most of the evacuees are staying in one of three shelters open in McDowell County; other shelters are open in Buncombe, Polk and Rutherford counties More than 6,500 power outages were reported across western counties, mostly in Henderson, McDowell Cleveland, Buncombe, Swain and Transylvania.