LAKE LURE, N.C. – People living near a popular lake in the western North Carolina mountains have been urged to flee to higher ground as officials warn a dam is close to failure.

Relentless rain from what was once Hurricane Helene has resulted in catastrophic flooding from Florida to North Carolina as the storm moves inland across the Southeast.

Rutherford County Emergency Management officials issued a dire warning in a Facebook post Friday to residents near Lake Lure.

“Residents below the Lake Lure Dam need to evacuate to higher ground immediately!!” officials wrote in the post. “Dam failure imminient!! Evacuate to higher ground immediately!!”

Earlier, officials said water from the flooded Broad River is flowing over the Lake Lure Dam. They ordered people living along more than 30 roads near the lake to immediately move to higher ground.