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MECKLENBURG COUNTY (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A flash flood is ‘imminent’ at Mountain Island Lake on Friday, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management.
Duke Energy will open floodgates at Cowans Ford Dam. Officials said flood waters will rise rapidly and conditions will change quickly.
“Duke Energy needs to move large amounts of rainwater through the Catawba River System from Lake Norman to Lake Wylie through Mountain Island Lake,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management said. “Prepare to evacuate.”
Authorities are asking everyone to evacuate the area on Friday. There is a shelter open on Friday at Tuckaseegee Rec Center located at 4820 Tuckaseegee Road.
HAZARDS: Life-threatening flash flooding from dam floodgate releases caused by excessive rainfall.
SOURCE: Duke Energy and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management
IMPACT: This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW! IMMEDIATE EVACUATION for areas along the river immediately downstream of the dam.
Life-threatening, catastrophic, and potential historic flash flooding of areas along the Catawba River from immediately downstream of Cowans Ford Dam to Mountain Island Lake to the Riverside Drive community below Mountain Island Lake Dam.
At 106.5 feet…Major Flooding continues.
Devastating, widespread structural flooding along Lake Drive, Riverside Drive, and Riverhaven Drive below the dam is ongoing.
First-floor inundation of some unelevated homes is exceeding 4 feet with some homes experiencing 5-7 feet of inundation.
Riverside Drive and Riverhaven Drive are submerged by 2-5 feet of floodwaters. Water rescues may be ongoing, the NWS says.
- Caution is advised for any area near the Catawba River, from Cowans Ford Dam to the Lake Wylie inlet.
- Please stay weather-aware and monitor lake levels and Duke Energy projections closely for any changes.
