Tennessee dam that sparked fears of failure during Helene gets inspection results

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee dam that took the brunt of Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding and was feared to be at the brink of failure has been given a relatively clean bill of health.

Engineers with the Tennessee Valley Authority said Thursday that thorough inspections along the Nolichucky Dam using an underwater camera, laser measurements and drones have found that the dam structure has avoided any major damage.

During the height of the storm, emergency managers scrambled to get people downriver to safety after water levels rose well over the dam, sparking fears of an "imminent breach." The TVA estimated water levels reached 8 feet over the record elevation.  

While the dam held, the river caused significant damage to its right abutment, the TVA said, requiring continued repairs.

The Nolichucky River still caused widespread devastation downstream.  Floodwaters buried the town of Erwin, leaving several dead at Impacts Plastics when the waters rushed through the factory.

Dozens had to be rescued via helicopter from the rooftop of Unicoi County Hospital when floodwaters rose so fast and burst into the hospital that it was too late to evacuate on the ground.

‘DANGEROUS RESCUE OPERATION’ SAVES DOZENS TRAPPED ON ROOF OF FLOODED TENNESSEE HOSPITAL

In all, at least 17 people have died in Tennessee from Hurricane Helene, which dropped 15-30 inches of rain in western North Carolina and the eastern Tennessee mountains.

The TVA said engineers will continue to evaluate the information from their inspection.