After over 7 inches of rain fell in 24 hours on April 24, 2017, several local high hazard classified dams were at risk for failure in the Raleigh, North Carolina region. This talk describes the actions and inactions leading up to the failure of Lewis Dam in Wake Forest, North Carolina. The 20-foot earthen dam was built in the 1930's by the CCC/NRCS and is situated between two residential single-family neighborhoods with little maintenance. We'll talk about the on-the-fly emergency action plan and inundation mapping, coordination with state dam safety and first responders, how to handle being in charge (incident commander), the power and value of volunteers, and knowing who to call when adrenaline is running high and people's lives are at risk. We will also dive into the post-event debrief, trainings, lessons learned, and follow-up tabletop exercises. We'll touch on the mental challenges (PTSD) of first responders and how to overcome survivors' remorse. WARNING: video of dam failure will be shown. Some situations might be stressful for viewers.
