State of emergency issued for Rutherford County
A state of emergency originally issued in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Village has now been expanded to all of Rutherford County
According to the Town of Lake Lure’s Facebook post, the state of emergency is in effect until further notice.
Officials warned residents along the Broad River and other low lying areas to move to higher ground immediately as the dam gates were opened to balance rising river levels.
Officials said the Hickory Nut Falls Campground and the Rivercreek Campground have been evacuated.
“Levels in the Rocky Broad River have surpassed seven and a half feet. Thus, 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 officials said in the post.
People living along the river and in other low-lying areas — including areas prone to landslides — are urged to seek higher ground immediately.
Officials are also asking residents to sign up landline phones and cellphones for the Code Red Emergency Notification System.
To learn more about the Code Red Emergency system, click here.
Mission Statement
The Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency is charged with the overall responsibility of coordinating the county’s preparedness for and response to disasters. Geographically, its authority extends to the entire county as defined by state law TCA 58-2-110.
The mission of the Emergency Management Agency is to develop a comprehensive emergency management program that seeks to: mitigate the effects of various hazards, to prepare for measures which will preserve life and minimize damage, to respond during emergencies, to provide assistance, and to establish a recovery system to return the community to a normal status after an event. This agency combines the local resources of Rutherford County, the City of Murfreesboro, the Town of Smyrna, and the City of LaVergne; along with State and Federal resources to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects all types of emergencies including natural or man-made disasters, technological accidents, national security threats, and other disrupting incidents that may impact our area or the general populations.
Source: ema.rutherfordcountytn.gov, wspa.com
