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    • There is a state of emergency in Hot Springs, Marshall is seeing record-breaking flooding
    Duluth

    There is a state of emergency in Hot Springs, Marshall is seeing record-breaking flooding

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    MARSHALL — Madison County residents are bracing for the worst flooding in years, weather experts say.

    At 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Madison County Emergency Management declared a state of emergency for the county, Madison County Emergency Management said in a Facebook post.

    Additionally, the organization announced that Madison Early College High School, 5734 US 25-70 in Marshall, will be used as an evacuation shelter for displaced residents in the county beginning Thursday at 4 p.m.

    Hot Springs Elementary School would be designated as a transportation staging area. The school is located at 63 N. Serpentine Ave. in Hot Springs.

    Residents are urged to call the Madison County Emergency Operations Center to arrange transportation to the County Evacuation Center.

    The emergency center phone number is 828-649-1955.

    The City of Marshall, in a post shortly before noon on Thursday, Sept. 13, urged residents and business owners to evacuate the downtown area, where the French Broad River flows along the downtown and Blannahassett Island areas, “before “They are isolated by flooded streets going in and out of the city.” . 26.

    “The same encouragement continues to extend to residents of Rollins Road and Island Road,” the city of Marshall said in the Facebook post.

    “Madison County is setting up a shelter for residents in need later this evening. We will update as more accommodation information becomes available. For now, residents and businesses should immediately prepare to evacuate to higher ground.”

    In the post, the city of Marshall referenced the current forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Prediction Service, which predicted a river height of 19 feet in Marshall at 1:45 p.m. Thursday.

    “This would be the third largest flood on record, following 1916 (22 feet) and 1902 (21 feet),” according to the city of Marshall.

    “While the crest is not expected until Friday, we expect the roads to become impassable sooner.”

    Marshall residents are no strangers to flooding, as the April 2019 floods caused significant damage to homes and government infrastructure throughout the city.

    More: Hurricane Helene: Flooding and winds cause event cancellations and closures in Western North Carolina and Asheville

    More: Hurricane Helene: Major road closures in Western North Carolina in Asheville, flooding on I-26

    Hot Springs declares a state of emergency

    Additionally, the city of Hot Springs declared a state of emergency via its Facebook page just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

    The post also recommended a voluntary evacuation for Hot Springs residents, particularly those along Spring Creek and the French Broad River.

    “Please understand that this evacuation order is voluntary,” the city said in the post. “However, firefighters will not risk their own safety to come get you if you are not evacuated. As winds increase and the ground becomes saturated, it is very likely that we (and the entire region) may lose power for a longer period of time.

    “Now is the time to prepare. Note that the river is already very high and much more rain is on the way and it is possible that areas that do not normally flood may become flooded. If you live near a stream, please be aware of flash flooding. It is expected that someone will be in that area and make an evacuation plan should the need arise.”

    To view the National Weather Prediction Service forecast for the crest along the French Broad River in Marshall and Hot Springs, visit this website.

    National Weather Service updates can be found here.

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    Eira Gwyneth
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