Residents Told to ‘Evacuate Now’ Due Imminent Dam Failure in Illinois City

‘Attention ... the Failure of the Nashville dam is imminent,’ officials say.

A map posted by the Washington County Emergency Management Agency shows the evacuation area amid an imminent dam failure in Nashville, Ill., on July 16, 2024. Washington County Emergency Management Agency

Residents in a city in southern Illinois were ordered Tuesday to “evacuate now” because a dam for the city’s reservoir could fail at any moment.

In a social media statement issued on Tuesday, the Washington County Emergency Management Agency said: “Attention ... the Failure of the Nashville dam is imminent. Please evacuate your home at this time. If you are in the grey box, you need [to] evacuate now!” It was referring to an area that appears to be downstream from the reservoir.