Town Talk 06/18/20: Weldon’s Mill Dam Breaks, Floods Sandy Creek Area

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Larry Johnson, owner of SaddleRock Farm, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

Johnson, a resident of the Sandy Creek community, east of Henderson, discussed the washing out of Weldon’s Mill Dam after several days of heavy rainfall.

While not exactly sure when the dam was originally built, Johnson said it most certainly precedes his lifetime. “I’m 73-years-old and that dam has been there all of my life. Every time I went down Weldon’s Mill Road, that was the first thing I looked at – that dam.”

Johnson said he received a call Wednesday morning asking if the dam had broken. “I didn’t know, so I got in my truck and drove down there,” he said. “What I saw was pretty devastating. The water was coming across there like I’ve never seen in my life. The dam had burst with probably 90 percent of it down, and the water looked like it was coming out of a huge lake.”

The bridge on Weldon’s Mill Road, with the water normally 10 to 12 feet below – by Johnson’s estimate – was covered by a foot or more in water.

“The bridge is covered but hasn’t appeared to move,” reported Johnson. “I was very concerned that the Old Mill building might be washed away. There is water running around the foundation of the mill building, but it is standing.”

To hear the interview with Johnson in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.