This is why I don't live downstream from a dam

[The Heretic]

Michigan dams break, forcing thousands to evacuate

Michigan’s governor declared a state of emergency in Midland County on Tuesday after two dams burst, endangering the population of 40,000 people.Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said at a news …

thehill.com

Even a minor one.

When I look for real estate, it won't have a residence that is close to a waterfront and if there is a waterfront then the water must be at least 100' below any part of the property that I need to occupy or that holds anything of value (buildings, roads, crops, etc.). It won't be downstream of a dam. It won't be on a flood plain.

I learned that as a kid (I watched the Tualatin flood many times, my father worked for the state DOT and the water dept. and I saw a a lot of flooding and washed out roads). I learned that as an adult - especially up near Seattle where there were a lot of people flooded every single friggin year.

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[Ura-Ki]

The MSM in only reporting two failures, when in fact, all 5 on the upper Saganaw have failed!

This has been a well known issue and hight risk in that area, they got the money to fund the repairs and upkeep, but naturally, the democrats spent that money on other things, same as Cali did with all that money for forest maintenance, and now the state is bankrupt and PG&E is broke, but still charging for power they cannot provide, for safety!

Just think, There are How many Dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, all are well over 50 years, and ALL have failed their inspections many times, but nothing serious is being done to fix them, and it would only take one to fail to cause a total loss costing thousands of lives along the rivers!

 

[titsonritz]

Screw that!! I was down in California during the Oroville Dam crisis and knew several people that were displaced.

 

[JRapRobert]

I used to play soccer in midland, my folks live in MI west coast on top of a big ol sand dune. Another reason to live on top of a hill

 

[EHJ]

I passed on a beautiful home and 5 acres 20 years ago off the McKenzie hwy. Super good place on the river.... Just downhill of Cougar dam...

 

[Lilhigbee]

First she orders everyone to stay home. Now she is ordering them to get out. Crazy biotch!!

 

[Alexx1401]

How long before that moron Governor blames Trump?

 

[Member 5605]

So, it's not how close either.

Last spring when we had those nasty flooding, in the span of 3 hours at my dads place near Coburg the water rose about 4' in a wave from the water that was being released up on the mountain.

I'm higher up than he is at my house but they were waist deep on the driveway that never sees water.

Do you want fertile soil or trees...? That's the two questions you gotta ask yourself when you buy property.

 

[Koda]

The entire Willamette Valley is downstream of several dams, and is otherwise a floodplane. Think about thats gonna work out in the next Cascadia Quake...

 

[Ura-Ki]

The entire Willamette Valley is downstream of several dams, and is otherwise a floodplane. Think about thats gonna work out in the next Cascadia Quake...

Not only that, but the entire Valley actually extends all the way north to Tacoma, and would liquefy badly, damaging everything in the area!

 

[Koda]

Not only that, but the entire Valley actually extends all the way north to Tacoma, and would liquefy badly, damaging everything in the area!

Cascadia Quake aside, there is about 6 dams I think controlling flood planes in the Willamette Valley. IIRC they were built not for electricity but to control the flooding so we could build communities and farm the rich soils of the Willamette Valley back in the day.

 

[Member 34319]

Not just dams. I recall when a pretty small levee collapsed and flooded the city of Fernley Nevada a decade or two ago.

 

[DivCurlGrad72]

Check your exposure to geo hazards here (click the Map link):

https://www.oregongeology.org/hazvu/

 

[wewaits]

Lots of dams left over from the New Deal era, since we are in a depressed economy and our infrastructure is falling apart and millions are unemployed, maybe it's time for another round of works projects. It would make a ton more sense then printing money like a third world country as we are currently doing. Plus people would learn construction skills, quite a few big construction companies got started from the knowledge and connections made under the New Deal.

 

[No_Regerts]

Lots of dams left over from the New Deal era, since we are in a depressed economy and our infrastructure is falling apart and millions are unemployed, maybe it's time for another round of works projects. It would make a ton more sense then printing money like a third world country as we are currently doing. Plus people would learn construction skills, quite a few big construction companies got started from the knowledge and connections made under the New Deal.

I agree. Let some stuff get built in exchange for the funds. Like a job! Make them unrepresented project positions so they don't become permanent employees automatically.

 

[The Heretic]

I am not too worried about dams on the Columbia - my understanding is that they will be ok in a cascadian earthquake. the willamette? that's a different matter.

Personally, I am at 900' on a mountain, so my main concern for now is landslide. I am on the north side which is nowhere near as prone as t he south side for landslides, but it is still a danger. floods? not.

 

[sobo]

Not just dams. I recall when a pretty small levee collapsed and flooded the city of Fernley Nevada a decade or two ago.

That was on January 05, 2008. My brother lives in Ferntucky, and has since September 26, 2004.
He says the flood was about a mile south of his place, and he was unaffected.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Lots of dams left over from the New Deal era, since we are in a depressed economy and our infrastructure is falling apart and millions are unemployed, maybe it's time for another round of works projects. It would make a ton more sense then printing money like a third world country as we are currently doing. Plus people would learn construction skills, quite a few big construction companies got started from the knowledge and connections made under the New Deal.

Not just dams and levees, but our crumbling infrastructure on the whole.. say like the electrical transmission systems, phone/internet lines, power systems, roads, highways and bridges.

 

[sobo]

roads, highways and bridges.

Hey, I'm workin' on it. I can't design them all at once...

 

[arakboss]

Michigan dams break, forcing thousands to evacuate

Michigan’s governor declared a state of emergency in Midland County on Tuesday after two dams burst, endangering the population of 40,000 people.Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said at a news …

thehill.com

Even a minor one.

When I look for real estate, it won't have a residence that is close to a waterfront and if there is a waterfront then the water must be at least 100' below any part of the property that I need to occupy or that holds anything of value (buildings, roads, crops, etc.). It won't be downstream of a dam. It won't be on a flood plain.

I learned that as a kid (I watched the Tualatin flood many times, my father worked for the state DOT and the water dept. and I saw a a lot of flooding and washed out roads). I learned that as an adult - especially up near Seattle where there were a lot of people flooded every single friggin year.

Good advice and even if the water doesn't risk flooding your property, living near water that erodes land, can cause lots of grief. The water might not come to your home but your home might go to the water.