Dam Safety Education - Dam Safety Awareness Day
National Dam Safety Awareness Day is observed on May 31 each year and was created to encourage individual and community responsibility for dam safety, as well as to provide information on what steps can be taken to prevent catastrophic dam failures. A secondary goal is to promote the benefits dams offer to communities. See Governor Spanberger’s Proclamation.
The day commemorates the failure of the South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1889, which killed more than 2,200 people. It is the worst dam-related disaster to date in the United States.
It is important to understand that both safe operation and maintenance are key to avoiding disaster.
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Know your risk: Visit VFRIS to learn about dams in your area and your flood risk.
- Know your role: Be aware of potential maintenance issues and report them to owners and DCR immediately.
- Take action: Purchase or renew flood insurance if you live in a dam break inundation zone. Have an emergency plan in place for your family or business and know what to do if you have to evacuate. Inform friends and neighbors about the risk of dam failure
For more information about the South Fork Dam failure and Dam Safety Awareness Day, go to
https://damsafety.org/NDSAD .
Visit DCR’s Dam Safety Education page to learn more about benefits and risks of dams.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
