Catabwa River Flooding Outside of Charlotte, NC ... Did Duke Let Residents Know in Time?

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-969225?ref=feeds/latest

From the report above:

"The Catawba river in charlotte NC is flooding with no sirens sounded by Duke energy today.  The area has had a lot of rainfall in the last few days.  Duke energy has been running water over the spillway into lake Wylie from mountain island lake which is part of the Catawba river chain.  No sirens were sounded."

This is a developing story so we will know more facts soon. Currently, resident said they were not given the warning they should have had to prepare.. 

Brad Panovitch posted this picture on Facebook earlier. The question seems to be whether Duke Energy gave proper warning to the people living in that area. Reminds me a lot of when they dump water from Lake Okeechobee in South Florida and there just happens to be massive flooding during the next rain a day or two later down stream.. and they blame it on a tropical storm that passed by off coast days earlier.

http://hurricaneharbor.blogspot.com/2008/09/freaky-flooding-friday-on-miami-beach.html

I really doubt that flooding was from Kyle as much as they had just let water out of the Lake..

In North Carolina the Catawba River is in a flooding stage of sorts. The water is higher than the banks...which would be something is flooding. Duke Energy has the ability to remedy the situation. However, the question is one of warning?

Brad Panovich

Liked · about an hour ago 

Voluntary evacuations south of the Mountain Island Lake dam due to rising water on the Catawba River

This isn't going to help Duke's image after the recent problems in the way the purchase of Progress Energy was done.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/editors-pick/Duke-Energy-defends-its-handling-of-rising-Catawba-River-water-levels-206364971.html

http://www.huntersvilleherald.com/news/2013/5/7/7017/lake-levels-continue-to-climb-threatening-floods

"The National Weather Service issued a flood warning at 9:59 a.m. today for southeastern Lincoln County, western Mecklenberg County and eastern Gaston County until 9:30 p.m.

The Catawba-Wateree River Basin has experienced significant, widespread rainfall recently, significantly raising water levels across the region.

Due to high inflows, Duke reported today that it had partially opened one gate at Cowans Ford Dam on Lake Norman, which was at full pond as of 10:20 this morning.

Opening the dam will cause Mountain Island Lake to reach full pond and begin spilling, Duke reported on its website."

http://www.duke-energy.com/lakes/levels.asp

Duke maintains it warned the residents who live in a flood basin.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/West-Charlotte-road-blocked-due-to-flooding-206402871.html

Only time will tell on this one, but the river is a hotly debated topic between NC and SC as well as conservationists worried on the river.

http://www.americanrivers.org/newsroom/blog/jblate-20130424-duke-energy-catawba-river-coal-ash-ponds.html

As for me... I'm more worried about what problems will come later in the Hurricane Season if the area's watersheds are so taxed already from this bizarre late winter spring we have had where we currently have a surplus of water vs a deficiency like we have had due to previous droughts.

When a pattern begins to form... and we are this close to the Hurricane Season, it's not going to change that fast. Should storms form in the Gulf of Mexico and move NW over Georgia and the Carolinas or should tropical storms form off the East Coast of Florida and move inland over Georgia and the Carolinas as they did last year.

Tropical Storm Beryl






Something to think on as we get closer to June 1st and as this slow moving cut off low inches it's way towards the Ocean, more rain is predicted to pile up over the Carolinas.

Besos Bobbi