Steer like this to stay out of accidents in the snow TOPSHOT - A city worker drives through the flooded street during Hurricane Sally in downtown Pensacola, Florida on September 16, 2020. - Hurricane Sally barrelled into the US Gulf Coast early Wednesday, with forecasts of drenching rains that could provoke "historic" and potentially deadly flash floods.The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the Category 2 storm hit Gulf Shores, Alabama at about 4:45 am (0945 GMT), bringing maximum sustained winds of about 105 miles (165 kilometers) per hour. "Historic life-threatening flooding likely along portions of the northern Gulf coast," the Miami-based center had warned late Tuesday, adding the hurricane could dump up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain in some areas. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) Why snow and blackouts in Texas are a preview for all of us Storm chasing photographers take photos underneath a rotating supercell storm system in Maxwell, Nebraska on September 3, 2016. Although multiple tornado warnings were issued throughout the area, no funnel cloud touched down. / AFP / Josh Edelson / XGTY RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE / MANDATORY CREDIT: "AFP PHOTO / Josh EDELSON" / NO MARKETING / NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS / DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS == (Photo credit should read JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images) Why hurricanes are so hard to predict IN SPACE - In this handout photo provided by NASA, Hurricane Patricia is seen from the International Space Station. The hurricane made landfall on the Pacfic coast of Mexico on October 23. (Photo by Scott Kelly/NASA via Getty Images) Larry Pierson, from the Isle of Palms, S.C., purchases bottled water from the Harris Teeter grocery store on the Isle of Palms in preparation for Hurricane Florence at the Isle of Palms S.C., Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith) The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on NOAA-20 acquired this image of Hurricane Laura at 2:20 a.m. Central Daylight Time on August 26, 2020. (CNN) — Gov. Roy Cooper will declare a state of emergency Wednesday for the western part of North Carolina, the governor’s office said in a statement. The announcement follows heavy rains that slammed the mountainous area Tuesday and Wednesday, causing mudslides and forcing evacuations and road closures – including a portion of Interstate 40. “Our emergency response and transportation crews have been working through the night to keep North Carolinians safe as conditions deteriorate,” Cooper said. ” … this storm isn’t yet over. I’m urging people to keep a close eye on forecasts and flood watches, and asking drivers to use caution especially when traveling in our western counties.” The emergency declaration will help the state coordinate its response and “prepare for any additional impacts,” the statement said. In the last 24 hours, 4 to 7 inches of rain slammed parts of a region that had been hit by frequent rain for a couple of weeks. And in the next couple of days, there will be a threat of flash flooding as storms persist, the governor’s office said. McDowell Co. experiencing most significant flooding since 2004 during Hurricane Frances/Ivan; some WNC areas have seen 15-16" of rain in past 2 weeks. Add'tl 1-2" rain likely in mtns today, continuing chance for flooding/landslides. Saturated soils=downed trees #BeReadyNC! #ncwx pic.twitter.com/ozcPh0iOT1 — NC Emergency Management (@NCEmergency) May 30, 2018 Residents and businesses near Lake Tahoma Dam appear to have dodged potential disaster Wednesday, after emergency officials called off evacuations. Heavy rains and a landslide in nearby mountains had “compromised the integrity” of the dam and triggered urgent calls for mandatory evacuations, McDowell County emergency officials had said earlier. The dam was “at risk of imminent failure,” officials said. The National Weather Service also cited reports from officials that water was spilling around the sides of Lake Tahoma Dam and that evacuations were ongoing. Kathy Kmonicek/AP Water flows from the Lake Tahoma Dam in McDowell County, north of downtown Marion, North Carolina. But later, officials said Lake Tahoma had been inspected and deemed safe and a mandatory evacuation was being canceled. “The emergency at Lake Tahoma has been canceled. The evacuation order is no longer in effect. The engineer has performed a safety inspection and determined that the evacuation order is no longer needed,” according to a statement on the McDowell County 911/Emergency Management Facebook page. “Please remain alert for additional updates, as additional rainfall is expected this afternoon. We appreciate the public’s understanding during this storm.” There was also a mandatory evacuation of downtown Old Fort in McDowell County because of flooding, the governor’s office said. The National Weather Service said a flood warning in McDowell remains in effect through 4:30 p.m. The governor’s office said Lake Tahoma and other dams, including Lake Lake Lure, Tuxedo and North Fork Lake are being monitored. NCDOT captured this video this morning near the Buncombe/McDowell county line where last night's mudslide temporarily closed part of I-40. https://t.co/K29ltktJNf — NCDOT (@NCDOT) May 30, 2018 Landslides, flooding and outages Deadly subtropical depression Alberto, the storm system that has been drenching the Southeast, has caused landslides, evacuations and flash flooding. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has been assessing damage and removing debris caused by mudslides, washouts and flooding on interstates, highways and local roads. It has been assessing damage caused by mudslides washouts and flooding on interstates, highways and local roads. Roads have been closed in Avery, Buncombe, McDowell, Watauga, Henderson, Rutherford, Macon, Polk, Mitchell, Transylvania, Gaston, Catawba and Iredell counties, the governor’s office said. Matt Burkhartt/Asheville Citizen-Times-USA TODAY/Sipa Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina. In Rutherford County, the Town of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Village declared a state of emergency amid high water levels in the Rocky Broad River, officials said on the town’s Facebook page. “Following more than six inches of rain overnight in many areas of Western North Carolina, numerous residents are without power this morning in the Lake Lure area, as many trees are down and roads blocked,” Lake Lure said in a Facebook post. Barricades are set in place for safety purposes. Please do not try to go around the barricades and travel through high water. (Note: no one was injured). #Asheville #AvlNews #WNCFloods pic.twitter.com/xuBcXNNjee — Asheville Police (@AshevillePolice) May 30, 2018 Hickory Nut Falls Campground and the Rivercreek Campground have been evacuated, the town said. “The Town has had to repeatedly open the floodgates just to balance the continually rising river levels from the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge,” Lake Lure said. “Residents living along the river and in other low-lying areas or areas prone to landslides are urged to take higher ground immediately.” There is also a flash flood emergency in Marion, where 4 to 6 inches of rain has fallen, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen reported. Life-threatening flash flooding is being reported along the Catawba River and its tributaries there. The city of Asheville reported road and park closings and school delays Wednesday. It is managing water releases from the North Fork Reservoir Dam. In Buncombe County, a licensed care facility and mobile home parks were evacuated, according to the governor’s office. More than 6,500 power outages in western counties were reported. Search and rescue teams were deployed. Most outages were in Henderson, McDowell Cleveland, Buncombe, Swain and Transylvania counties. At Blantyre, moderate flooding is expected at the French Broad River later Wednesday, the governor’s office said. We have issued a FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY for MCDOWELL COUNTY in NC. Flash flooding, landslides, and rapid rises on waterways are an IMMEDIATE threat to life and property. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE unless you are fleeing flood waters. THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. — NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) May 30, 2018 Alberto weakened to a subtropical depression Monday, but millions of people in parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky were still under flash flood watches for much of Tuesday. “Alberto weakened to a subtropical depression on Monday night. However, heavy rainfall from Alberto will spread into northern Georgia, the western Carolinas, and Tennessee on Tuesday, increasing the threat of flash flooding in those areas,” the National Weather Service said.<doc-sep>As remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto spread into the Great Lakes region, people were keeping a weary watch on dams and hillsides Thursday as rains from the storms have triggered floods and mudslides in the Appalachians of the Southeast. In the North Carolina mountains, one of those landslides was blamed for a gas leak that destroyed a home, killing two people. Boone police Sgt. Shane Robbins said the landslide resulted in the "catastrophic destruction" of the home Wednesday afternoon because of a gas leak. And in Virginia, rescuers were searching for three people feared to have been swept away by floodwaters. In central Virginia, a swift water rescue team was searching for two people who were seen being swept away by a flash flood's torrent of muddy water Wednesday night, according to a news release from the city of Charlottesville. By early Thursday, was no sign of the missing couple. North of that, authorities were searching roadside woodlands for a third missing person. The Madison County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Thursday morning that rescuers were searching for a missing person after getting a report of a female in the water. The post said the person was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and the search had been ongoing overnight. Crews work the scene of a structure collapse in Watauga County, North Carolina, on May 30, 2018, in this photo posted to social media by the Boone Police Department. Boone Police Department Elsewhere, four North Carolina dams being closely watched by a state team of special engineers were holding up, Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday. But Cooper went ahead and declared a state of emergency for his hard-hit mountain counties, saying the forecast for the rest of the week calls for isolated heavy rainstorms that could instantly cause flooding in areas that have had 20 inches of rain in the past 15 days. "This storm isn't yet over. I'm urging people to keep a close eye on forecasts," Cooper said. Alberto, while still spinning like a classic tropical storm, has managed to make its way since a Memorial Day landfall in the Florida Panhandle to just outside of Chicago. Forecasters said it would still bring rain and gusty winds to the Great Lakes this week. Alberto's heavy rains have been widespread. Scattered flooding was reported in several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia. In Hopkinsville, Kentucky, high winds and heavy rains gave Sherry Key a fitful night's sleep. "I have dogs and they're terribly afraid of storms, so they were on top on top me all night," said Key, an airport office manager. The worst of the flooding was in the Appalachian Mountains. Up to 7 inches of rain caused flooding in Helen, a mountain town in Georgia, the National Weather Service said. CBS affiliate WGCL-TV of Atlanta, Georgia, reported that several roads in that German-styled tourist destination were shut down because of the rising water. No injuries were reported. Two deaths had been reported during the storm's passage. A television news anchor and a photojournalist were killed Monday in North Carolina while covering the weather, when a tree became uprooted from rain-soaked ground and toppled onto their SUV, authorities said. WYFF-TV of Greenville, South Carolina, said news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer died. In the mountains of North Carolina, two Department of Transportation workers survived a close call when their dump truck was swept away by a mudslide in McDowell County while trying to clean debris from an earlier slide. The men were able to climb from the overturned truck and stand on its side in the Catawba River until they were rescued, Cooper, the governor, said. Authorities in Cuba say Alberto left four people dead there as the storm drenched the island in heavy rain. Interior Minister Julio Cesar Gandarilla said late Tuesday they died as a result of "recklessness" during the storm. He gave no details. The deaths occurred as authorities worked to contain an oil spill in central Cuba's Cienfuegos Bay that followed the flooding of nearby oil refinery.<doc-sep>Thousands of people have been evacuated after mudslides left a dam in North Carolina in danger of "imminent failure", officials say. Residents near Lake Tahoma, in the state's western mountains, were "being asked to flee", America's National Weather Service said, following heavy rain and flash flooding caused by Storm Alberto. Around 2,000 people are thought to be affected. Forecasters warned the leftovers of the Atlantic hurricane season's first named storm are 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 to Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas, and Virginia and West Virginia. McDowell County Emergency Management deputy director Adrienne Jones said the dam had not failed, but an engineer who inspected the scene was concerned enough to order the evacuation until the dam could be thoroughly examined. Ms Jones added that about 200 residents were in three shelters, set up nearby. Five minor injuries had been reported during water rescues as creeks and streams overflowed their banks and rock slides closed roads, she added. The storm caused more than 25,000 power outages in Alabama on Tuesday, a day after making landfall in Florida. Many of the outages were caused by trees rooted in soggy soil falling across utility lines. "We've had a lot of rain, but we got lucky. It was a constant rain but not a heavy rain," said Regina Myers, emergency management director in Walker County northwest of Birmingham. Subtropical storm Alberto rolled ashore in the Florida Panhandle before quickly weakening to a depression. ✕ Storms batter America's east coast In Cuba, flooding damaged an oil refinery and caused crude oil to spill into Cienfuegos Bay as the remnants of Alberto continued to drench the island in heavy rain. State-owned TV showed authorities using barriers on Tuesday to try to contain the spill from the Cienfuegos refinery in central Cuba, about 150 miles southeast of Havana. In North Carolina, a television news anchor and a photojournalist were killed earlier this week when a tree became uprooted from rain-soaked ground and toppled onto their SUV as they covered the storm. WYFF-TV said news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer were killed. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire.<doc-sep>
(CNN) — Two people died Wednesday after severe weather caused a landslide in western North Carolina. Heavy rains pummeled the western part of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing mudslides and forcing evacuations and road closures. Another person is missing in north-central Virginia. Initially, two people were missing, according to authorities in Albemarle County. Floodwater swept away their Toyota Prius around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, when Ivy Creek topped its bank, creating a flash flood that swept away the Prius and another car. Witnesses watched as two occupants managed to exit their vehicle before being swept away, according to Dan Eggleston, the county’s fire rescue chief. The vehicle was located, Eggleston said in a news conference. Authorities recovered one of the bodies on Thursday afternoon, according to Albemarle County Police, marking the fifth death due to weather. The other person is still missing. The occupant of the second car escaped and was rescued, Eggleston added. “Ivy Creek’s normally a very docile creek, but with 8 to 10 inches of rain … it turned into a swollen, raging river,” he said, “and it just tossed and turned both of those vehicles.” County authorities carried out at least 10 water rescues overnight, Eggleston said. Two people were found dead in the rubble of a home in Boone, North Carolina, according to the Boone Fire Department. A landslide caused a gas explosion that leveled the house, said Shane Robbins, the Boone Police Department spokesman. unknown/Boone NC Police Department A search and rescue ensued after two people were reported in the structure in Boone, North Carolina. The deaths are the legacy of a storm named Alberto, which made landfall earlier this week as a subtropical storm and has since drenched the states in its path. On Monday, two journalists from South Carolina-based CNN affiliate WYFF were killed in Polk County, North Carolina. A tree fell on their SUV as they covered the hazardous weather, the station said. Millions still under flash flood watches While the storm had weakened by Thursday, it was still dumping rain across large swathes of the country, according to CNN meteorologists. More than 9 million people were under flash flood watches Thursday morning, including Baltimore and Washington. Ellicott City, Maryland, which was devastated by flooding earlier this week, is also under a watch. The weather conditions prompted North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to declare a state of emergency Wednesday for the western part of the state. “This storm isn’t yet over. I’m urging people to keep a close eye on forecasts and flood watches, and asking drivers to use caution, especially when traveling in our western counties,” Cooper said in a statement Wednesday. The emergency declaration will help the state coordinate its response and “prepare for any additional impacts,” the statement said. In 24 hours, 4 to 7 inches of rain slammed parts of a region that had been hit by frequent rain for a couple of weeks. And in the next couple of days, there will be a threat of flash flooding as storms persist, the governor’s office said. Landslides, flooding and outages The North Carolina Department of Transportation has been assessing damage and removing debris caused by mudslides, washouts and flooding on interstates, highways and local roads. Several towns in western North Carolina reported high water levels, power outages, downed trees and blocked roads. The city of Asheville reported road and park closings and school delays Wednesday. It is managing water releases from the North Fork Reservoir Dam. Alberto made landfall Monday as a subtropical storm in the Florida Panhandle and weakened to a subtropical depression later that day. But it brought heavy rainfall, drenching parts of northern Georgia, the western Carolinas and Tennessee on Tuesday, increasing the threat of flash flooding in those areas, the National Weather Service said. After moving into the Tennessee Valley, the system is forecast to head into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. About 2 to 6 inches of rain are expected from Alabama to the western Great Lakes and from northern Florida to the mid-Atlantic coast through Wednesday, the hurricane center said. Click here to track the storm Hurricane season is set to begin officially Friday. CNN’s Nicole Chavez, Tina Burnside and Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.