About 70,000 people in northwestern Puerto Rico were ordered to evacuate on Friday, September 21, after Hurricane Maria caused damage to the Guajataca Dam, putting it in the imminent danger of collapse.
Following the storms of Hurricane Maria that swelled the reservoir of Guajataca Lake by nearly 40cm of rain, operators said that the dam started to show signs of failure at 14:10 local time (18:10 GMT) on Friday. Officials quickly realized the existence of a crack that could lead to the total failure of the 90-year-old dam, according to Anthony Reynes, a meteorologist with the US National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of flash flooding in the nearby municipalities of Quebradillas and Isabela and urged residents to move to higher ground. Many people living near the dam have been evacuated by buses. The video that follows shows the dam's spillway being overrun with rushing waters.
Abner Gomez, executive director of Puerto Rico's emergency management agency Gomez, said that under the current conditions, with water rising after the hurricane, "there is no way to fix it". Additional water flowing into the lake could create sudden dangers, so emergency evacuation was the only option, he said.
The dam was constructed by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to create the Guajataca Lake that provides water for drinking and irrigation to residents of the area, according to the US Geological Survey.
Sources: BBC, CNN, The Guardian, The Washington Post
Lake Dunlap dam, located near New Braunfels, Texas, experienced a spillgate failure on Tuesday, May...
A dam is an infrastructure system that consists of several structures with the intent to collect,...
On May 19, 2020, two dams in Michigan breached causing extensive flooding and infrastructure damage...
According to extended research conducted by the Associated Press, 1,688 dams located in 44 states a...
A landslide caused by heavy rains raised fears about the integrity of Lake Tahoma Dam in North Carol...
Thousands of people have been evacuated after 2 dams in Michigan breached following heavy rainfalls...
The 225 m high Hindroituango Dam on Cauca River in Colombia faces emergency situation since April, a...
On the May 31st we commemorate the significant role dams play in American life. From providing nearl...
The Oktibbeha County Lake Dam located in eastern Mississippi is prone to collapse due to intense pr...