Tennessee dam bursts, 12 homes damaged


NFPA 70b Training - Electrical Maintenance

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
An earthen dam holding back a retention pond at a coal-fired power plant gave way, releasing a frigid mix of water, ash and mud that damaged 12 homes and put hundreds of hectares of rural land under water.

The 16-hectare pond was used by the Tennessee Valley Authority to hold a slurry of ash generated by the coal-burning Kingston Steam Plant in Harriman, about 80 kilometres west of Knoxville, said TVA spokesman Gil Francis.

The dam gave way just before 1 a.m., burying a road and railway tracks leading to the plant under a thick layer of dark-grey mud and water.

Authorities said no one was seriously injured or hospitalized.

Investigators were trying to determine exactly what caused the breach, but the TVA spokesman said heavy rains and freezing temperatures may be to blame.

"I am still in shock," said Crystell Flinn, 49, whose ranch-style house was pushed off its foundations and driven some 10 metres onto a road. "I don't think it really has hit me yet."

Flinn was travelling back from Knoxville when a friend called her cellphone to say she heard that the flood hit Flinn's house and that her 53-year-old husband, James Schean, was trapped inside. Schean escaped cold and shaken but not injured.

Knoxville-based TVA supplies electricity to 8.8 million consumers in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Related News

Yet another Irish electricity provider is increasing its prices

Electric Ireland Electricity Price Increase stems from rising wholesale costs as energy suppliers adjust tariffs.…
View more

Garbage Truck Crash Knocks Down Power Poles in Little Haiti

Little Haiti Garbage Truck Power Outage in Miami after mechanical arms snagged power lines, snapping…
View more

BC Ferries celebrates addition of hybrid ships

BC Ferries Island Class hybrid ferries deliver quiet, battery-electric travel with shore power readiness, lower…
View more

Is this the start of an aviation revolution?

Harbour Air Electric Seaplanes pioneer sustainable aviation with battery-electric propulsion, zero-emission operations, and retrofitted de…
View more

BC Hydro says three LNG companies continue to demand electricity, justifying Site C

BC Hydro LNG Load Forecast signals rising electricity demand from LNG Canada, Woodfibre, and Tilbury,…
View more

New Texas will bill electric vehicle drivers an extra $200 a year

Texas EV Registration Fee adds a $200 annual charge under Senate Bill 505, offsetting lost…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified