Dam safety |
Know your risk and know your role
The importance of reviewing incident responses, promoting greater awareness, and concerns about dam safety in the Ukraine, are all featured here in IWP&DC’s industry inspection
AS DEVELOPMENT STEADILY ENCROACHES on once- rural dams and reservoirs, the number of high hazard potential structures in the US’ ageing dam population has more than doubled over the past 20 years. Estimates suggest that the number of deficient high hazard dams now exceeds 2300. Risk is increasing, says the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and dam safety needs to be considered on a watershed scale. The above is one of several findings that FEMA
recently published in its Dam Incident Response Review (DIRR) into the Edenville and Sanford Dam failures in Michigan.
On the evening of 19 May 2020, following several days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam in Michigan, failed. The resulting release of water subsequently also caused the failure of the Sandford Dam located downstream. As the DIRR details, this record-breaking flooding led to widespread damage and destruction of buildings, homes, roads, utility infrastructure, and natural resources. More than 4000 structures across the region were reportedly impacted by the floodwaters, with estimated losses of roughly US$245 million. Approximately 11,000 residents were successfully evacuated from the area with no serious injuries or loss of life reported.
Published in April 2022, FEMA says that the goal of the DIRR was to better understand the events leading up to the incident, the response, recovery efforts
Top: The South Fork Dam failure occurred on 31 May 1889, near Johnstown in Pennsylvania, US and became known as the Johnstown flood. In remembrance of the US’ worst dam failure in history this day has become known annually as National Dam Safety Awareness Day. The bed of Lake Conemaugh, whose waters were released in the torrent of the Johnstown flood is photographed here from the top of the broken South Fork Dam shortly after its collapse. Credit: Everett Collection /
Shutterstock.com
Middle: View of Johnstown after the flood of 1889. Horse drawn wagons and men work in the central mid-ground, possibly recovering bodies. More than 2200 people died. Credit: Everett Collection /
Shutterstock.com
Bottom: Military post on Kernville Hill, after the Johnstown Flood in1889. The 14th National Guard regiment from Pittsburgh arrived in Johnstown on 5 June to help in the aftermath of the disaster. Credit: Everett Collection /
Shutterstock.com
24 | August 2022 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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