Virginia observes Dam Safety Awareness Day

(WFXR) — Folks within the Commonwealth are being inspired to provide you with a strong plan for issues like flooding introduced on by dam failure.

Could thirty first marks Dam Security Consciousness Day in Virginia and nationally.

Director of Dam Security and Flood Planning Administration for the Division of Conservation and Recreation, Wendy Howard Cooper stated “Dams have an effect on everybody and it must be a priority for everybody.”

There are greater than 3,000 dams in Virginia and 371 are thought-about excessive hazard dams, which means there’s a danger to life and property.

Dam Security Consciousness Day was established after the Nice Flood in Johnstown Pennsylvania, triggered the demise of greater than 2,000 individuals in 1889. It was first established in Virginia by former governor, Ralph Northam.

“Something can occur at any time. We’ve seen prior to now a number of years the place we’ve bought large storms, heavy rainfall, 11, 13 inches in 24 hours,” stated Cooper. “It may trigger a dam to overtop, it may activate the spillway and trigger water to stream out of that dam. It would trigger the dam to fail.”

Issues aren’t at all times attributable to storms. Cooper says that’s why native governments, personal homeowners, and residents want emergency motion plans.

She says step one is getting flood insurance coverage as a result of owners’ insurance policies don’t cowl floods. Then she recommends having an escape plan, similar to you’d for different emergencies like fires.

The final incident reported within the commonwealth was in Fluvanna County on March 21.

Cooper says it was a high-risk dam that had no security plan, so DCR needed to act quick.

“We lower notched within the dam to alleviate the water stress and we finally eliminated the dam, recommissioned it,” stated Cooper.

If you happen to aren’t positive for those who stay close to a dam or have issues about one in your space, she suggests checking the DCR web site or giving them a name.