Residents return home after Woodlake Dam deemed stable

N.C. DEQ—N.C. DEQ
Tim LaBounty of DEQs DEMLR dam safety team

MOORE COUNTY, N.C. — The threat of Hurricane Matthew didn’t end when the storm spun back into the Atlantic Ocean, with residents around the state dealing with flooding and state officials keeping an eye on structures like Woodlake Dam.Residents near the dam were finally allowed to return to their homes Sunday after being evacuated from the area for more than a week. Officials from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, including the division’s secretary Donald van der Vaart, joined safety teams last week at Woodlake Dam in checking the stability of the structure.More than 100 homes had been evacuated, and flood damage to the area is still under assessment. In all, it’s expected than more than $1.5 billion in damage was caused by the storm throughout the state.