September 5th, 2022 – 1:30 pm
Cherokee County Emergency Management –
4:40 PM update from Cherokee County AL Emergency Management:
“AS LAKE LEVELS CONTINUE TO RISE, NOW IS THE TIME TO SECURE YOUR PROPERTY!
While we hope flooding around the lake doesn’t cause many issues, there still remains a great deal of uncertainty about where the lake level will crest. There are a lot of things to factor in when determining or predicting how high the lake will rise. What we do know is the flood stage of the Chattooga River in Gaylesville is 13 feet. Around 5 AM this morning, the Chattooga River crested at 22.9 feet marking this flooding event as the 3rd highest level ever recorded on the Chattooga River in Gaylesville. The flood stage of Weiss Lake is 567′ and the full pool is 564′. Weiss Lake is currently sitting at 564.4′ at Weiss Dam. During an event like this with the water coming in from Georgia, the east side of the lake can be one to one and a half feet higher than the levels at Weiss Dam.
With that being said and given the fact that it takes some time for the water to move downstream into Weiss Lake, you will continue to see the lake level rise over the next several hours. We continue to remain hopeful that this flooding event doesn’t cause very many issues around the lake and our thoughts and prayers remain with those who have been affected so far.
We know a large amount of water is headed towards the east side of the lake. Now is the time to make sure you protect your property to prevent it from being damaged. The good thing is the Coosa River hasn’t been affected very much so we are focusing on the Chattooga River and Little River. Think back to December of 2015…If you had property that was affected during the flooding event that took place in December 2015 then you might want to secure your property or move it to higher ground. If you have a low lying lake lot or property that is prone to flooding when the lake gets a couple of feet above full pool then we suggest for you to make sure your property is secured so it can’t float off or move it to a better location that is not prone to flooding. March of 2021 is another good example of what we may see along the eastern side (Georgia side) of the lake.
This message is not intended to cause panic or alarm, we simply want to do everything we can to make sure you and your property remains safe.
For those who have property around the lake, primarily on the east side of the lake (Georgia side), if you have a boat in a boathouse with the canopy up we recommend you let the canopy down so when the lake level does rise, it’s not in jeopardy of being damaged. If your boathouse has a low roof then we recommend you remove your boat to prevent damage from occurring. Also if you have any items or property close to the lake, we recommend you move those items to a better location as we expect the lake to rise above some seawalls and docks. If you don’t feel your camper/RV is safe where it’s at or you want to take a little bit of extra precaution, now is the time to move those campers. We don’t want to cry wolf but we also don’t want to underestimate the potential. In this instance, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Previously reported From Cherokee County Emergency Management:
“While moderate to heavy rainfall is not helping the situation, there does appear to be some improvement.
Water levels along Highway 68 have receded and County Road 97 is now passable. The river level has crested at 22.9 ft with the flood stage at 13 ft. water levels along the river will continue to decrease however, as rainfall continues the lake level will rise as water moves downstream.
At the Weiss Dam, the current level is 564.4ft however, that level will be approximately one foot higher on the east side of the lake because the water level has not yet made it to the dam.”
Cherokee County Emergency Management has stated that it will continue to monitor the conditions and post updates as needed.
