THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WATER GETS OUT OF CONTROL

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WATER GETS OUT OF CONTROL

Water can be dangerous when uncontrolled and with a limitless supply, it can become powerful enough to lift cars, level landscapes, and drown entire cities. Dam disasters are a common occurrence, with dams being barriers built to stop surface water flow, generate electricity, control water supply, and prevent flooding. However, dams can also be dangerous. For example, the Bermadino Dam at the Corrego de Fijão iron mine in Brazil collapsed in 2019, releasing a toxic tidal wave of over 420 million cubic feet of water and sludge. This flood swamped the nearby valley, burying some areas in up to 50 feet of sludge and taking 270 people with it. In May 2020, in the USA, the 54-foot tall Edenville Dam collapsed due to heavy rains, unable to hold back the 21.5 billion gallons of water in the man-made reservoir of Wixom Lake.

The floodwaters rose high enough to flow over the top of the 36-foot tall Sanford Dam, causing over 10,000 residents to evacuate, ripping buildings off their foundations, smuggling roads and bridges, and destroying over 2,500 properties. California's Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the US, experienced a devastating dam failure in 2016-2017 due to the wettest winter in over 100 years. The dam's 3,000-foot long and 179-foot wide spillway was opened to prevent overflowing, but the rain continued. The water flowed at a rate of 50,000 cubic feet per second, filling the largest aquarium tank in the world in just 12 seconds. The concrete spillway, which was 15 inches thick, eroded under pressure, causing a second emergency spillway to be used. The uncontrollable flow of water eroded the spillway too, causing 188,000 people to be evacuated. The repairs to the Oroville Dam cost the US $1.11 billion.

The Colorado River, a 1,450-mile-long river relied on by 40 million people in Mexico and the southwestern U.S. for their drinking water, illustrates the power of dam failures he Glen Canyon Dam, located at 710 feet high, is responsible for harnessing the power of the Yellow River's water supply. The dam forms Lake Powell, the second-largest artificial lake in the United States, with a water storage capacity of over 25 million acre-feet. In April 2023, the dam released 39,500 cubic feet of water per second for 72 hours straight, releasing over 10 billion cubic feet of water. This power is designed to move sand stored in the river's channel, depositing it to rebuild eroded sandbars and beaches downstream. However, the average American household uses roughly 40 cubic feet of water per day, so just one second of the Glen Canyon's water surge would supply the water needs of an average American household for nearly three years.

The Yellow River's destructive power was controlled by sandwashing in 1947, which flushes out sediment from the riverbed. This process moves 33 million tons of sediment in just 20 days, making it a tourist hotspot. Hukou Waterfall, the second-largest waterfall in China, is located near the dam, but is heavily flooded in 2022. Tiger Leaping Gorge, a canyon on the Jinsha River, is another Chinese hotspot. Tiger Leaping Gorge, a dangerous section of the Yangtze River, has an average flow rate of 275,000 cubic feet per second, making it one of the most dangerous riverside spots. Despite its raging torrents, a team of rafters navigated through it in 1986, but 11 never left. Typhoon Jebi, a typhoon, formed off the southern coast of Japan in August 2018. Typhoon Jebi caused massive waves and heavy rainfall in southeastern Japan, causing Kansai International Airport to be inundated and forced to close for 17 days. This event is compared to the 2011 earthquake, which caused massive tsunami waves, 123,000 houses destroyed, and $220 billion in damage. Mudflows, a combination of water and debris, can be even more terrifying. In 2023, Bardonecchia in Italy experienced a mudslide, but no lives were lost.

Nazaré, off the coast of Europe, is home to the largest underwater canyon in Europe, with waves reaching up to 130 miles long. These waves can be massive, with the largest wave ever surfed being 86 feet high. Oahu in Hawaii is known for its shore break waves, which can be painful and dangerous. Whirlpools, such as the Saltstrammen in Norway, can form up to 33 feet in diameter and 16 feet in depth, and have been a subject of mythology. In 2019, the Norwegian ship Nidarø ran aground in the Saltstrammen, with rumors of 60 swimmers and divers dying. Watery whirlwinds can also take shape on top of the water, creating a funnel of death. aterspouts are intense columns of rapidly rotating air and water, with two types: fair-weather and tornadic. Tornadic waterspouts can reach speeds of over 100 miles per hour and can cause serious damage. Waterspouts can be dangerous even in modern times, as seen in 1556 when a waterspout hit Malta's Grand Harbor.

Water mains can also be dangerous, as they can crack and cause water to burst through the ground. The Strid, an infamous spot on the River Wharf in Yorkshire, England, is a prime example of such a disaster. YouTuber Jackasnax measured the depth of the Strid river using a sonar fishing rod, finding it to be over 65 meters deep. The river has claimed fatalities since the 12th century. Rogue waves, powerful enough to sink supertankers and container ships, have also caused damage. In the Pacific Ocean, a 15-foot-high rogue wave smashed a U.S. Army base and a seaside restaurant in Arezzano, Italy. Never dine at a seaside restaurant during a storm.