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.
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.
- Be aware of dams in your area.
- Purchase or renew flood insurance.
- 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 .
Department of Conservation and Recreation
