Lynchburg dam: Horror video shows TERRIFYING FLOODING amid MASS evacuations in Virginia
SHOCKING footage has shown water flow from the Lynchburg dam after six inches of rain fell in just a few hours, prompting fears of a potential dam failure.
By DARREN HUNT
Express.co.uk
Fri, Aug 3, 2018
If the Lynchburg dam failed, the Central City would be hit by up to 17 feet of water in 10 minutes, experts have warned.
Virginia city was hit by heavy rain and a failure of the College Lake Dam near Lynchburg could flood the city, which has prompted mass evacuations.
In the footage, water sweeps through woodlands after the torrential downpours in the US state caused College Lake to overfill.
Alongside the ABC video, a reporter said: “Evacuations underway in Lynchburg, Virginia, as fears of a possible dam failure rise.
“Six inches of rain in just a few hours has pushed the college lake to fill beyond capacity.
“Officials say if the dam gives way, water levels in the town would rise 17 feet in less than 10 minutes.
“Rescue crews worked through the night pulling people to safety in the flood waters.”
Some parts of the city were evacuated overnight over worries the Lynchburg dam would fail.
The nearest downstream city from the dam is Lynchburg, which is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 50 miles from Roanoke.
Lynchburg has a population of about 80,000, which is just over a mile from the dam.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said county officials reported the dam’s “imminent failure” at around 9.30pm.
The NWS said: “The Lynchburg Water Resources Department reported that 4 to 6 inches of heavy rain earlier this evening has caused College Lake to fill beyond its capacity, and that 12 to 18 inches of water are flowing over Lakeside Drive into Blackwater Creek.
The Rest…HERE
