August is National Disaster Resilience Month, which serves as a great reminder of dam safety and the measures in place to protect our communities. Through National Resilience Month, we can ensure our communities are better equipped to withstand and recover from the hazards they face. Learn more by visiting National Resilience Month | FEMA.gov.
In today’s world, infrastructure is the foundation to much of our daily life, providing essential services and support to communities. Among these structures are dams, which play a critical role in offering water supplies, flood control and sometimes even hydroelectric power. The safety of these dams is crucial, as any failure can lead to catastrophic consequences.
FEMA recognizes the critical need for robust dam safety protocols. There are 92,000 dams across the United States with an average age of 61 years, meaning that maintaining these structures is a significant undertaking. The National Inventory of Dams contains information on a dam’s location, type, size, purpose, uses and benefits, date of last inspection and other structural and geographical information. Stakeholders can use the information to effectively assess and manage risks.
In a recent announcement, FEMA allocated a $38 million grant for the Mineral Ridge Dam in Ohio to strengthen and improve the infrastructure. This will help ensure the dam can withstand the probable maximum flood levels from a 500-year storm.
“We’re focused on ensuring that infrastructure is in place and up to date,” said Ohio Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Sima Merick in a recent FEMA video. “And we know this dam is in good shape, but like everything, we age and so does infrastructure.”
Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and as part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, FEMA has infused extra money into existing grant programs to reduce disaster impacts and minimize future disasters costs.
“We have to think about those mitigation activities,” said Merick.
One mitigation activity a community can take is to develop an emergency action plan that addresses dam-related emergencies. Most states, and Puerto Rico, have a state dam safety office that inventories high-hazard dams and facilitates permitting, public awareness campaigns, training and emergency planning within the state or territory. By collaborating with local emergency managers and state dam safety offices, a community can identify mitigation and response actions to address potential dam-related emergencies.
FEMA provides funding, resources, mitigation strategies and trainings to aid communities to make their dams more resilient against hazards through the National Dam Safety Program.
The program plays a pivotal role in leading the federal dam safety effort by providing interagency leadership, technical assistance, public outreach and financial assistance through a partnership with states, federal agencies, dam owners and other stakeholders. The program encourages and promotes the establishment and maintenance of effective federal and state dam safety programs to reduce risk to human life, property and the environment.
“Dams impact the lives of millions of Americans who may live downstream or who directly benefit from the hydroelectric power, drinking water, or recreational activities provided by dams. Even a single small dam failure can have devastating consequences far beyond its direct impacts,” said FEMA National Dam Safety Program Director Kayed Lakhia. “By promoting dam safety, we help communities save lives and property by mitigating and responding to dam-related emergencies.
Ensuring the safety of our dams is not just about protecting infrastructure, it’s about safeguarding lives and the environment. Through initiatives such as the Mineral Ridge Dam mitigation project, we can lead the charge in building a more resilient future.
We can contribute to the well-being of our communities by staying informed and supporting ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure resilience. For more information on dam safety and National Resilience Month, visit FEMA’s dedicated resources.