ROANOKE, Va. – UPDATE: The flash flood watch that was issued for Lake Powhatan in Pulaski County has been cancelled. Pulaski County Emergency Services reports the water flowing through the damaged part of the dam has stabilized.
The excessive amount of rain in the area has caused a scary situation in Pulaski County, as a dam on the Boy Scout Reservation could fail and cause flooding for a rural village, according to Pulaski County’s Emergency Management Authority.
The rain has let up, but the water is still a powerful force outside of the Blue Ridge Scout Reservation, where rushing rapids tell the story of why crews are worried the Powhatan Dam could fail.
Macks Creek runs right through the reservation, from the dam into Macks Creek Village, a half-mile away.
If the dam fails, it would flood out about a dozen homes next to the creek.
Emergencey crews said a pipe in the dam has experienced issues and they’ve already warned the people who live there to be ready to evacuate.
The rushing creek looks serious, but some residents said they’ve seen Macks Creek flood worse than this.
“I’ve honestly seen it higher in the five years we’ve lived here, but it was a little disconcerting to get a knock on the door from the fire department saying, ‘The floodway at the Scout camp is in danger of damaging,’” said resident Jeremy Bishop.
Even if the dam doesn’t fail, there is still a flash flood watch in effect for Pulaski County.
People in the affected area already said they have flood insurance if the water starts to creep closer to their homes.