The resilience of the Nolichucky Dam during the flooding from Hurricane Helene was the focus of a one-year look back at the events of that weekend. The event was held Thursday morning at the Dam along the Asheville Highway.
TVA Vice President of River Operations Tom Barnett, TVA Senior Program Manager for River System Dam Safety Jim Bryant, and Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison were among those who spoke at the event Thursday morning.
Morrison read a proclamation that will commemorate September 27 moving forward:
During the height of the flooding, the Nolichucky River rose at the rate of two feet per hour. Nearly 1.3 million gallons of water were pouring over the dam each second, which is nearly double the peak daily flow of Niagara Falls.
Morrison added that “Dam Strong” became a rallying cry following the events of Helene:
The TVA issued a “Condition Red” alert for the dam that night out of an abundance of caution, but the 111-year-old structure held strong.
