Heavy rain sends water over Philpott Dam spillway; landslide damages powerhouse
2020
Philpott
Heavy rain on May 24, 2020, sent water over the Philpott Dam spillway, and a landslide just downstream damaged the powerhouse, which stayed offline for more than two years.
Philpott Dam on the Smith River, completed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1952, controls flooding and produces hydroelectric power. According to Virginia Places, rainstorms on May 24, 2020, raised the lake enough for water to flow over the spillway. A landslide just downstream of the dam damaged the powerhouse and other infrastructure, and the hydropower facilities remained off-line for over two years.