National Dam Safety Awareness Day
National Dam Safety Awareness Day seeks to encourage and promote individual and community responsibility for dam safety, as well as what steps can be taken to prevent serious dam failures. On this day we remember the lessons learned from past dam failures. Specifically, we recognize National Dam Safety Awareness Day on May 31st to remember the over 2,200 lives lost during the 1889 South Fork Dam failure. Due to years of poor maintenance and a large storm event, the dam experienced a catastrophic failure which sent a massive wave of water and debris into the town of Johnstown, PA. The event would later become known as the Johnstown Flood.
As we mark the 134th anniversary of the 1889 tragedy, it’s important to recognize the reality of dam failures and learn how one can stay safe and educate themselves on the potential risks in their community.
“New dam construction has fallen off; older dams are being reworked to newer standards,” said Mr. John Ritchey, PE, Project Consultant in FPA’s Water Resources Department. Mr. Ritchey, who has had over 38 years of experience in dams and water resources projects, has participated in over 300 dam restoration projects and 1,000 dam inspections. “We need to bring awareness to the public about these past failures, and as engineers, apply the lessons learned to our future evaluations and designs,” said Mr. Ritchey.
There are over 90,000 dams in the United States of America, and approximately 15,000 of those are classified as High-Hazard Potential (HHP), which means that the dam’s failure could result in loss of life. It’s important to become educated and stay informed on dam safety in and around your community. Luckily, organizations like the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) exist to educate the public on these issues. We encourage you to learn more on dam safety and the history of dams in the United States, by visiting their website: https://damsafety.org/NDSAD
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also hosts information on dam safety, as well as details on grant funding opportunities aimed at supporting improvements to state dam safety programs: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/dam-safety
At French & Parrello Associates (FPA), we strongly believe that safety is the number one priority in all projects. FPA is at the forefront of dam engineering as our subject matter experts have provided technical oversight and leadership to the water resource community on more than 100 dam-related projects. The diversity of our staff’s capabilities greatly facilitates project planning and design, while our reputation within the regional engineering and regulatory community advances our ability to obtain project approvals.
To speak with one of our Water Resources Professionals today, or to learn more about the services that FPA provides, please reach out to us at info@fpaengineers.com.
