Mebane, Orange County Warn of Lake Michael Dam Potential Failure Amid Heavy Rain

UPDATE: During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders said the Lake Michael Dam did not fail. Residents in the area, however, are encouraged to remain in higher ground until high waters recede.

Below is the initial story published early Monday morning.

The City of Mebane warned residents in the area of Lake Michael Dam on Sunday night about a potential failure amid heavy rain and intense flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal.

The city government shared an alert at 11:53 p.m. on Sunday saying the Mebane Police Department, Alamance County Sheriff’s Office and Mebane Fire Department notified residents with homes inside “the breach inundation zone” of a voluntary evacuation out of caution from the dam’s integrity. The spillway and dam have been undergoing repairs and work since Sep. 2024 — but roughly 7-8 inches of rain on Sunday threatened the infrastructure and raised concern for the areas downstream of the dam.

The alert said residents within the Tupelo Junction Subdivision and on Retriever Lane were also notified for potential evacuation, even though their homes are not calculated to be in the inundation zone.

The local governments urged people in the evacuation zone to use the Mebane Arts and Community Center at 633 Corregidor Street as temporary emergency shelter. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call the Mebane Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 919-304-9235.

The City of Mebane is split between Orange County and Alamance County, which both issued their own alerts about the voluntary evacuation. The community is part of a broader flash flood warning for the area issued by the National Weather Service after heavy rains throughout Sunday caused high waters. People in low-lying areas are encouraged to seek higher ground and any travelers are encouraged to stay home if possible and avoid driving through any floodwaters. The latest alerts from the National Weather Service can be found here for Orange, Chatham and Durham counties.

Mebane residents can sign up for both Alamance County’s emergency alerts or Orange County’s OC Alerts system to receive messages like the voluntary evacuation notice.

This is a developing story.

Featured photo via Joe Nanney.

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Mebane, Orange County Warn of Lake Michael Dam Potential Failure Amid Heavy Rain

UPDATE: During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders said the Lake Michael Dam did not fail. Residents in the area, however, are encouraged to remain in higher ground until high waters recede. Below is the initial story published early Monday morning. The City of Mebane warned residents in […]

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