Where Will the Flow Go? Using 2D Dambreak inundation Videos and Other Media to Enhance EAP Exercises

摘要

An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is an important tool used to reduce the potential for the loss of human life and minimize property and infrastructure damage downstream of a dam during an unusual or emergency event at the dam. The EAP assists in identifying an unusual or emergency condition at the dam and outlines actions to be performed and notifications to be made during the event. In order to ensure the accuracy and functionality of the EAP, exercises are recommended to familiarize users with its components and provide a review of the document. The exercises typically involve the dam owner, operators and first responders. These professionals are sometimes overwhelmed and confused with the inundation maps and the information shown on these maps. Explaining how the inundation maps were developed and the information they convey is a critical part of the EAP exercise. Gannett Fleming recently performed an EAP exercise for Crab Orchard Dam as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams inspection program. Crab Orchard Dam is a High hazard dam located on the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in southern Illinois. At the recommendation of the USFWS, several new EAP features were incorporated into the exercise to assist in conveying important information to the participants, including using two dimensional color-coded videos illustrating the depth of flooding and progression of the simulated dam breach flood waves with time, and the use of additional projectors and screens to concurrently provide virtual tours of downstream consequence areas. Based on the overwhelming positive feedback from exercise participants who had experience participating in similar traditional EAP exercises, it was clear that they received a much better understanding of the consequences of a dam failure and the progression of the flood wave downstream. The EAP facilitators and the USFWS also noted much greater participation and interest from the exercise participants. The USFWS is now considering using this approach for all of their EAP exercises. The purpose of this paper is to share with other dam safety professionals how the new features were developed and used to conduct the EAP exercise.