PG&E is urging residents and those who recreate below dams to have an emergency plan as a part of National Dam Safety Awareness Day. That day happens every year on May 31st which commemorates the failure of the South Fork Dam in Pennsylvania in 1889. PG&E encourages those living, working, and visiting downstream of dams to have an evacuation plan and be able to recognize the signs of a potential dam breach. According to a PG&E press release, those signs are intensified sound of rushing water, increased water speed or depth, an unusual amounts of debris in the water, a change in water from clear to muddy, and unusually cold water temperatures.
For more information go to www.pge.com/hydrosafety and www.fema.gov/protecting-our-communities/dam-safety