Anticipating high water levels from the rains of Hurricane Florence, the Tennessee Valley Authority is spilling water from its dams to create storage space, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.
At sunset Wednesday, the TVA spilled water at Cherokee Dam for the first time since 1994. Other dams on the Tennessee River also were spilled, including those at Fort Loudoun, Chickamauga, Nickajack, Guntersville and Pickwick, the newspaper reported.
This is so beautiful we just had to share. Crowds gather to see Cherokee Dam at sunset spilling for the first time since 1994. We're releasing water to create some storage in Cherokee Lake to be ready for the coming rain from #Florence. #CherokeeDam #CherokeeLake pic.twitter.com/gdfKWz8drl
— TN Valley Authority (@TVAnews) September 12, 2018
Water levels also were lowered at the Fort Patrick Henry and Appalachia dams, the News Sentinel reported.
On Wednesday, the TVA reported that the Ohio River was nearing flooding stages near Paducah, Kentucky. Officials for the utility said they were working with the Army Corps of Engineers to supervise dam spillings from the Kentucky Dam, the News Sentinel said.
Fort Loudoun Dam on the Tennessee River near Lenior City, TN is releasing water from both it's generating turbines and spillway gates. We need to create storage capacity for rainfall from #Florence. #FortLoudoun pic.twitter.com/I6nXzKHBZ7
— TN Valley Authority (@TVAnews) September 13, 2018
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