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Virginia's College Lake Dam Is in 'Imminent Failure,' Would Flood City in Minutes

CBN

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All eyes are on College Lake Dam, just down from the University of Lynchburg in Virginia.

Heavy rains sent water spilling over the dam, spurring fears that it could collapse, it has already prompted some home evacuations in the city of roughly 80,000 people.

Authorities have evacuated parts of Lynchburg, Virginia, in preparation of what county officials report as the "imminent failure" of the College Lake Dam.

Major Tommy Carter of the Lynchburg Sheriff's office told CBN News the community was "preparing for the worst" as they face a potentially catastrophic flooding situation.

The National Weather Service reported if the dam does fail, "the water depth at Lynchburg could exceed 17 feet in 7 minutes."

Carter explained that they were already dealing with floods from days of rain – more than six inches which has gotten worse – and they have had to conduct evacuations, some by boat.

He said that they were now focused on evacuations and road closures near and around the dam, warning that more could be on the way.

Two shelters opened up in Lynchburg for those who were evacuated.

Right now, engineers are checking the integrity of the dam to make sure it can hold up.

"Although water levels have decreased, the threat for dam failure continues," and emergency personnel will check for signs of structural failure, the weather service said Friday morning.

Should the dam collapse, floodwaters would move from the creek into the James River near Lynchburg's business district.

The west-central Virginia city near the Blue Ridge Mountains has received plenty of runoff from recent rains, with 4 to 6 inches falling in the area Thursday evening and filling College Lake beyond its capacity.

A flash-flood watch is in effect through 6 pm Friday in Lynchburg, with 1 to 3 more inches of rain expected.

The Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, including FEMA, are monitoring the situation and preparing for the worse. 

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