Hydrodynamic accidents

One of the most striking examples of hydrodynamic accidents was the event in California, just seventy kilometers from Los Angeles (San Francisco Canyon). The reservoir began to be filled in 1972, but the maximum level was reached in a year. The water seeping through the dam aroused fear even then, but the authorities did not react to the complaints of local residents. The trouble came in 1928, on March 12. The dam could not stand the pressure of water, breaking through the earth's layers, and collapsed. The 40-meter-high liquid wall demolished the power station, built in 25 km in just 5 minutes. All living things together with the buildings were destroyed. Then the stream covered the valley. Here his strength weakened a little, but continued to sweep away absolutely everything in its path, advancing towards the coastal plain. By this time it was already a three-kilometer flow of mud, which killed six hundred people ...

What are the types of hydrodynamic accidents? Can they be avoided?

Hydrodynamic accidents are mostly predictable and predictable, but human carelessness allows them to happen. Alas, the natural factor in the form of earthquakes, hurricanes, landslides, landslides and floods causes the tragedy much less than the human factor. Hydrodynamic accidents happen more often due to design errors, structural defects in structures, violations of operating rules, inadequate spillways and water overflows through dams. In addition, we should not miss the possibility of sabotage acts and strikes against such structures.

Hydrodynamic accidents are a consequence of failure of hydraulic structures, as a result of which an uncontrollable, powerful stream of huge masses of water floods vast areas with great speed, carrying destruction and death of people. Flooded areas are divided into 4 zones.

The first is in close proximity to the hydroconstruction and within a radius of 12 km from it. The speed and height of the flow depends on the nature of damage to the hydroconstructions, their fullness before the accident and altitude above sea level. Here the destruction is most extensive.

In the second and third zones, the current velocity and the wave height decrease significantly (geographic indices of the terrain here are decisive: hills, slopes, plains, etc.).

The fourth zone includes areas of weak currents, where the speed is about 8-9 km / h, and the length depends on the relief of the flooded terrain.

It is the first zones where massive losses of people and destruction (and more often - complete destruction) of structures occur, are considered areas of catastrophic flooding.

Are hydrodynamic accidents possible in Russia? Judge for yourself. Tens of thousands of reservoirs have been built in the country, the capacity of sixty of them is over a billion cubes. The accumulators of industrial wastes and effluents are tens of times larger. And all of them are potentially dangerous objects. They include not only artificial structures (basins, dams, dams, dams, leveling tanks, etc.), but also natural formations with a difference in water level (upper tail / bottom tail). For information: out of 300 officially registered dam failures over the past one and a half hundred years, more than 30% occurred due to excess discharge costs.

Unfortunately, there are many examples of such catastrophes on the territory of the Russian Federation: 1993 - Kiselevskoye reservoir (breakthrough of the dam), 1994 - Tyrlyansk reservoir, White (destruction of the dam), 1994 - Primorye (flood), 1999 - Yakutia (the tragedy is repeated only two years later), 2002 - Krasnodar Territory (flooding and destruction of the hydroelectric complex).

The last tragedy happened in July 2012, in Krymsk. Experts still understand its causes, and people continue to search for their missing relatives.

It turns out that the last 25 years the dam has "not seen" major repairs. In the event of an accident, a wave could cover about half a million people. Six years ago, the dam was in emergency condition. In some places, the crevices reached 50 cm. Sergei Shoigu, the head of the Ministry for Emergency Situations in Russia, described the situation as very difficult. Local residents also repeatedly notified the relevant authorities about the danger. The official conclusion, dating back to 2010, a serious danger confirmed. But until the thunder strikes ...

And he burst out. On the night of June 7 a huge wave covered sleeping people in Krymsk, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik. The number of dead is still counted. Official data refers to a figure of 200 people, and the residents themselves say that the dead more at times ...

No matter how bitter, but the salvation of drowning people continues to be the work of the drowning themselves. And it is good, if the population will have time to notify about impending trouble. And if not? What if the flood comes suddenly?

Occupy the highest elevated place (tree, roof of the house). Hang the cloth on which you can be found. Only light signals are clearly visible at night. If the water is already at the threshold, do not hesitate to build a raft of improvised funds. If you find yourself in the water, grab for large floating objects. Do not panic. Continue to call for help and signal. Beware of electrical wires and sharp parts of debris. Do not drink water without treatment. Do not consume products caught in this water.

After the fall of the water, enter the house, open wide the doors and windows. Gas and electrical appliances should be switched on only after careful ventilation and with full confidence in the integrity of the devices and wiring.