Failure is "imminent" for a North Carolina dam

 Multiple rounds of overwhelming, torrential rainfall are pushing the Lake Lure Dam – located about 20 miles southwest of Asheville – to its literal breaking point.

“RESIDENTS BELOW THE LAKE LURE DAM NEED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!! DAM FAILURE IMMINIENT!! (sic) EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!!” the Rutherford County Department of Emergency Management warned Friday.

The county reported that “catastrophic flows” along the Broad River into Lake Lure are “overtopping” Lake Lure Dam, pushing the dam into “imminent failure,” according to the National Weather Service.

A flash flood emergency is in effect for the area where close to a foot of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours.