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   / Updated By Kurt Chirbas, Alice Tidey and Elizabeth Chuck 
   
   Thousands of North Carolina residents were allowed to return home Wednesday after a landslide caused by heavy rains prompted mandatory evacuations near a dam, officials said. 
   
   Residents living below Lake Tahoma, in western North Carolina, were ordered to leave around 1 a.m. ET Wednesday after the Tahoma Dam was inspected by an engineer and officials determined that the landslide had compromised its integrity. 
   
   "Act now to preserve your life," urged a tweet from the National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina. 
   
   MCDOWELL COUNTY UPDATE: A landslide has comprised the integrity of Lake Tahoma Dam. MANDATORY EVACUATIONS underway from the Dam at Lake Shore Dr to Lake Tahoma Rd (NC 80) to the confluence of the Catawba River near Resistoflex Rd and Riverside Park. ACT NOW TO PRESERVE YOUR LIFE! — NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) May 30, 2018 
   
   In the early hours of Wednesday morning, officials in McDowell County reported widespread flooding after heavy rainfall of 4 to 6 inches over the past 24 hours, the National Weather Service said. "This is causing significant and life-threatening flooding countywide," it said. 
   
   The flooding was triggered by the soggy remnants of Alberto, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. 
   
   The flash flooding emergency expired at 10:30 a.m. Around the same time, officials lifted the mandatory evacuation order after deeming the dam safe. 
   
   Earlier, the National Weather Service said a flash flood emergency was in place for McDowell County, which includes the city of Marion, home to around 7,800 people, and Old Fort, population 900. 
   
   Residents living below Lake Tahoma in North Carolina were ordered to evacuate. Bing Maps 
   
   It added: "Floodwaters have reached levels not seen since the September 2004 floods associated with Hurricanes Frances and Ivan. Numerous evacuations of residences, businesses and campgrounds; road closures; water rescues; and landslides are ongoing." 
   
   William Kehler, McDowell County's emergency services director, told NBC News that several thousand people lived in the evacuation zone. 
   
   Lake Tahoma is about five miles northwest of Marion, which is about 36 miles east of Asheville. 
   
   There were no casualties reported from the floods. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement that two state Department of Transportation workers were swept away by a mudslide in McDowell County as they worked to clear debris from a previous mudslide, but they managed to stand on a truck that had fallen into the Catawba River until they were rescued. Cooper declared a state of emergency for western North Carolina on Wednesday. 
   
   McDowell county emergency management reports water is spilling around the sides of Lake Tahoma dam. Evacuations ongoing south of the dam. THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. HEED ALL EVACUATION ORDERS IMMEDIATELY! If you are not threatened by floodwaters, shelter in place. — NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) May 30, 2018 
   
   Alberto has hit multiple states. Flash flood watches were in effect early Wednesday for parts of several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia. 
   
   A mudslide shut down three lanes of traffic on Interstate 40 in North Carolina overnight. WCNC 
   
   A television news anchor and a photojournalist covering the weather in North Carolina were killed Monday when an uprooted tree toppled onto their SUV in North Carolina. 
   
   NBC affiliate WYFF of Greenville said news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer were killed. 
   
   WYFF News 4 anchor Mike McCormick and WYFF News 4 photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer died Monday when a tree fell on their SUV. https://t.co/VZZKA6K6qq All of us at WYFF News 4 are grieving. We are a family. pic.twitter.com/IQmZ6prUIH — WYFF News 4 (@wyffnews4) May 28, 2018 ||||| 00:55 Evacuation Orders Lifted in North Carolina Flood Threat The evacuation orders in McDowell County, N.C. have been lifted, and an engineer has deemed the Lake Tahoma Dam safe for now. 
   
   At a Glance Torrential rain lead to widespread flooding in western North Carolina Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. 
   
   Evacuations were ordered below the Lake Tahoma Dam in McDowell County. 
   
   There were a pair of landslides near the dam that raised concerns about the dam's integrity. 
   
   Wednesday morning, an engineer deemed the dam safe and all evacuations were lifted. 
   
   Evacuations have been lifted after a dam in western North Carolina was deemed structurally sound despite earlier fears that mudslides and flooding triggered by Tropical Depression Alberto could cause the structure to fail. 
   
   McDowell County Emergency Management ordered mandatory evacuations for all residents living below Lake Tahoma Dam along Buck Creek and along the Catawba River from Buck Creek and Lake Tahoma Road to the mouth of Lake James, based on the recommendation from on-site dam engineers. Water was reportedly spilling over the sides of the dam just after midnight Wednesday morning. 
   
   After the dam was examined, McDowell County Emergency Management said there was no danger, and all evacuation orders were lifted . McDowell County Emergency Services director William Kehler told NBC News that the mandatory evacuations impacted "several thousand" residents . 
   
   Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for western North Carolina as a response to the flooding and mudslides in McDowell County and elsewhere. 
   
   (MORE: Hurricane Central ) 
   
   Five minor injuries were reported during water rescues, McDowell County Emergency Management deputy director Adrienne Jones told the Associated Press. Lake Tahoma is located about 5 miles northwest of Marion, North Carolina, or about 27 miles east-northeast of Asheville. 
   
   <img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/lake-tahoma-locator.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/lake-tahoma-locator.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/lake-tahoma-locator.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > 
   
   Widespread flooding was reported in McDowell County, including along the Catawba River and its tributaries like Mill, Crooked, Nix, Curtis and Mackey creeks. Flooding was also reported along sections of U.S. 70 and U.S. 221 in the county. 
   
   The Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens , west of the city of Marion, crested at its highest level since its record crest set during Hurricane Frances in September 2004. 
   
   Because of the flooding, schools were closed Wednesday in McDowell County , according to Fox Carolina. 
   
   Flooding was also reported in the town of Old Fort, North Carolina, late Tuesday night. Multiple semi trucks were reported stuck in floodwaters in the Greenlee community just east of Old Fort. 
   
   A landslide shut down all westbound lanes on Interstate 40 at the top of Old Fort Mountain Tuesday night, but the roadway has since been cleared and reopened. 
   
   An estimated 4 to 6 inches of rain had fallen since Tuesday morning in McDowell County, according to the NWS. 
   
   (INTERACTIVE: Latest Radar of Alberto ) 
   
   Elsewhere, parts of U.S. 176 were shut down from flooding in Polk County, North Carolina, between Saluda and Tryon. 
   
   At least five mudslides were reported in Henderson County blocking roads near the towns of Bat Cave and Hendersonville. In Black Mountain, a mobile home park was evacuated Tuesday as floodwaters rose , according to WLOS.com. 
   
   Asheville crushed its previous record-wettest May – 9.81 inches in 2009 – by over 3 inches and is closing in on its wettest single month dating to 1869 . 
   
   This is a developing story. Check back with us at weather.com for the latest. ||||| MCDOWELL COUNTY UPDATE: A landslide has comprised the integrity of Lake Tahoma Dam. MANDATORY EVACUATIONS underway from the Dam at Lake Shore Dr to Lake Tahoma Rd (NC 80) to the confluence of the Catawba River near Resistoflex Rd and Riverside Park. ACT NOW TO PRESERVE YOUR LIFE! ||||| Authorities in western North Carolina canceled evacuations in an area south of the Lake Tahoma dam, which had been in "imminent danger" of failing after a landslide. The landslide was set off by heavy rainfall associated with Alberto, which made landfall as a subtropical storm on Memorial Day. 
   
   Local officials said Wednesday morning that an engineer had performed a safety inspection and determined that the evacuation order was no longer needed. 
   
   After midnight Tuesday, the National Weather Service had declared a flash flood emergency in the area: 
   
   McDowell county emergency management reports water is spilling around the sides of Lake Tahoma dam. Evacuations ongoing south of the dam. THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. HEED ALL EVACUATION ORDERS IMMEDIATELY! If you are not threatened by floodwaters, shelter in place. — NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) May 30, 2018 
   
   CBS affiliate WSPA-TV of Spartanburg, South Carolina, reports that a state of emergency was declared in McDowell County. 
   
   McDowell County Emergency Management said some 2,000 people from campgrounds and residential communities near the dam and lake had evacuated, with roughly 200 at shelters. Old Fort and Marion are the hardest-hit communities. 
   
   Shelters were set up at two churches and a YMCA. 
   
   McDowell County Emergency Management Deputy Director Adrienne Jones told The Associated Press five minor injuries have been reported during water rescues as creeks and streams overflowed their banks and rockslides closed roads. 
   
   The Twitter account for the area's National Weather Service office retweeted a picture showing floodwaters in Burke County. 
   
   @DukeEnergyStorm @NWSGSP this is the 8:30am picture at my family cabin at the confluence of Muddy Creek and Linville about a half mile downstream of the Bridgewater Hydro Plant (Burke County). Water rising quick. @wxbrad @FHWxN pic.twitter.com/MqTlUYRg6x — wxchristopher (@wxchristopher) May 30, 2018 
   
   CBS affiliate WFMY-TV of Greensboro, North Carolina, reports a mudslide in Old Fort forced the shutdown of a portion of Interstate 40. Later, the North Carolina Department of Transportation said the right two westbound lanes and the left eastbound lane remained closed, probably until Friday afternoon. 
   
   WFMY-TV said western North Carolina communities were on high alert due to heavy rains and flash flooding and possible mudslides from Alberto. According to the AP, forecasters warned that the leftovers of the Atlantic hurricane season's first named storm were still capable of causing treacherous flooding as heavy precipitation spreads deeper into the nation's midsection. Flash flood watches were in effect for parts of several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia. 
   
   Lake Tahoma is a private lake in the mountains of Western North Carolina, located in McDowell County.
target: – When you live near a major dam, the last thing you want to hear is that the integrity of it has been "compromised" by landslides. But that's exactly what residents living below North Carolina's Lake Tahoma were told late Tuesday in a tweet from a local National Weather Service account. "MANDATORY EVACUATIONS," the post read, with specifics on who exactly in McDowell County should be getting out. "ACT NOW TO PRESERVE YOUR LIFE!" NBC News reports the flash-flood emergency warning to thousands came after an engineer checked out the dam, and after heavy rain had caused "significant and life-threatening flooding" throughout the county, per the NWS. Weather.com says there were two landslides reported in the area, with local authorities noting the dam is in "imminent danger" of failing, per CBS News. Water was reported spilling out from the sides of the dam early Wednesday. "Floodwaters have reached levels not seen since the September 2004 floods associated with Hurricanes Frances and Ivan," the NWS says, per NBC. The communities of Marion and Old Fort are among those most severely affected. Heavy rainfall throughout several Southern states is linked to the storm Alberto, which took the lives of two South Carolina journalists Monday when a tree fell on their SUV. (A "once in 1,000 years" flood slammed a Maryland city—twice in two years.)