National Dam Safety Program Publications

Dam Safety Series – Fact Sheet 5: Benefits of Post-Event Data Collection for Dams

Examples of data collected for dams after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 to help stakeholders better understand some of the potential benefits of post-event data collection at dams.

Dec 11, 2020
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Dam Safety Technical Advisory #1: Risk Reduction Measures for Dams

The purpose of this Technical Advisory is to help people and organizations better understand the various measures that can be taken to reduce the risks from and improve resilience to dam failure. The intended audience includes federal, state, and local officials; tribal leaders; county and city engineers, planners, and emergency managers; dam owners and operators; building and property owners near or potentially affected by a dam failure; and other interested stakeholders.

Aug 17, 2020
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Dam Safety Technical Advisory #2: Risk Exposure and Residual Risk Related to Dams

The purpose of this Technical Advisory is to help all stakeholders better understand risk exposure, residual risk, and the potential contributing factors to risk related to living and working near a dam or within a dam inundation zone. The information is intended to help stakeholders improve emergency planning and community resilience based on informed decision making. The intended audience includes federal, state and local officials; tribal leaders; county and city planners and emergency managers; dam owners and operators; building and property owners near or potentially affected by a dam failure; and other interested stakeholders and the general public.

Aug 17, 2020
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Dam Safety Technical Advisory #3: Dam Awareness

The purpose of this Technical Advisory is to help increase the general understanding, knowledge, and awareness of dams to enable improved planning and community resilience, among other benefits. The target audience includes emergency managers and various planners; federal, state, and local officials; tribal leaders; city and county engineers and officials; dam owners and operators; building and property owners, including homeowners associations; stakeholders who live near or downstream of dams or are affected by them; and the general public.

Aug 17, 2020
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Does Risk Information Lead to Action? | Stacy Langsdale - US Army Corps of Engineers

2019 NDSP Technical Seminar Presentation

Dec 21, 2020
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DSS-WISE HCOM: Human Consequences of Dam-Break Floods Fact Sheet

Decision Support System for Water Infrastructure Security Human Consequence Module (DSS-WISETM HCOM) is an analytical module for automated assessment of the human consequences of dam-break floods. The National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering (NCCHE) and the University of Mississippi developed the module with funding provided by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through a contract with Argonne National Laboratory.

Dec 8, 2020
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DSS-WISE Lite: Web-based Automated Dam-Break Modeling/Mapping Fact Sheet

DSS-WISE™ Lite is a web-based, automated two-dimensional dam-break flood modeling and mapping capability developed by the National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering (NCCHE), the University of Mississippi. The development of the web-based tool and its operation and maintenance is supported by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Dec 8, 2020
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DSS-WISE™ Lite Case Studies - A State Perspective

This is a summary of how states are using Decision Support System for Water Infrastructure Security™ Lite (DSS-WISE™ Lite), a web-based, automated two-dimensional dam-break flood modeling and mapping capability, as a dam risk management tool. DSS-WISE™ Lite was developed by the National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering (NCCHE), the University of Mississippi. Its development, operation, and maintenance are supported by FEMA. DSS-WISE™ Lite has been used extensively during numerous dam incidents and emergencies. FEMA reached out to several states asking for case studies of their experience with DSS-WISE and received over 100 examples. </p>

Dec 7, 2020
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Emergency Action Planning for State Regulated High-Hazard Potential Dams: Findings, Recommendations and Strategies (FEMA 608)

Preventing loss of life from dam failure is the paramount concern of the National Dam Safety Program. This concern has intensified as a result of recent disasters that have focused attention on the state of the critical infrastructure in the United States and raised questions on the safety of dams nationwide. As part of a recent initiative to promote the implementation of Emergency Action Plans at all high-hazard potential dams across the United States, FEMA has asked all of the states to adopt the applicable recommendations contained in this paper.

Dec 8, 2020
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Emergency Action Planning for State Regulated High-Hazard Potential Dams: Findings, Recommendations and Strategies (FEMA 608) (Text Version)

Preventing loss of life from dam failure is the paramount concern of the National Dam Safety Program. This concern has intensified as a result of recent disasters that have focused attention on the state of the critical infrastructure in the United States and raised questions on the safety of dams nationwide. As part of a recent initiative to promote the implementation of Emergency Action Plans at all high-hazard potential dams across the United States, FEMA has asked all of the states to adopt the applicable recommendations contained in this paper.

Dec 8, 2020
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