ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — As a system ahead of Hurricane Helene dumped several inches of rain on western North Carolina overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, the National Weather Service is comparing this upcoming event to the Asheville flood of 1916.

It also said it would have a greater impact than Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 and storms Frances and Ivan in 2004.

Hurricane Helene reached Category 3 late in the afternoon of September 26 and was expected to hit Florida. Forecasters said it will rise quickly across the Southeast and through WNC overnight Thursday into Friday morning, bringing heavy rains.

County leaders are urging residents to self-evacuate some areas along French Broad, Swannanoa

“This will be one of the most significant weather events to occur in the western portions of the territory in modern times,” the National Weather Service said. “Record floods are predicted and compared to the 1916 floods in the Asheville area.”

Within a week-long period in July, the Asheville flood of 1916 consisted of two consecutive hurricanes that dropped more than 26 inches of rain in WNC. News 13 had a special broadcast in July 2016 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this event.

The NWS continued that the impact of this event is expected to be greater than Tropical Storm Fred of August 2021, the Frances and Ivan Mountains in 2004, and northern South Carolina when the Saluda River Basin flooded in 1949.

“We urge everyone to take each individual weather warning very seriously throughout the event, as impacts will be life-threatening, and to ensure you have multiple opportunities to receive the warnings,” the NWS reported. “Protecting life and property is the overarching mission of the National Weather Service, and we are committed to standing by the people of Western Carolina and Northeast Georgia.”

This was another statement from the NWS:

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of this event. Follow all evacuation instructions from your local emergency manager and go to a storm shelter if you do not feel safe at your current location. Landslides, including fast-moving debris flows of water, mud, falling rocks, trees, and other large debris, are most likely to occur in small valleys draining steep slopes. Landslides are powerful and potentially deadly and can flood roads, bridges and homes. People living in landslide-prone areas should be aware of the danger and be prepared to act.

LIVE UPDATES: Flooding and power outages were reported prior to Helene’s arrival

Buncombe County also compared this event to the 1916 flood. Officials urged residents near flood-prone areas, such as those living near the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, to evacuate.

“According to National Weather Service forecasts, catastrophic and historic flooding is expected in Buncombe County along the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers. Residents, businesses, visitors and employees in Fletcher and Biltmore Village near the rivers should self-evacuate before wave crests expected overnight. Flooding on Friday and into Saturday morning is expected to rival the 1916 floods and/or these will exceed,” officials said in a news release.

On Thursday, the city of Marshall urged residents and business owners to make preparations to evacuate before they could potentially become isolated by flooded roads heading in and out of the city.

“The same encouragement continues to extend to residents of Rollins Road and Island Road. Madison County Emergency Management will open an emergency shelter at the wellness center behind Madison Early College at 4 p.m. For now, residents and businesses should immediately prepare to evacuate to higher ground,” the City of Marshall posted on social media. “The current forecast for the river crest in Marshall is 19 feet. This would be the third largest flood on record, after 1916 (22 feet) and 1902 (21 feet). Although the peak is not expected until Friday, we expect roads to become impassable sooner.