Our Dams are Safe and We Work Hard to Make Sure

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Willard Strong

We’re still in the middle of it and not out of the woods. I’m referring to hurricane season, as we continue to suspiciously eye the west coast of Africa for cloud formations and the slightest hint of more trouble in the tropics.

With Matthew, Florence and now Dorian in the hurricane history books, we can’t rest easy. We should all stay prepared for another drill if circumstances warrant, and by now you should know the drill of preparation and if need be, evacuation.

One aspect of operations related to fall storms here at Santee Cooper is our constant monitoring of the 42 miles of dams and dikes. Rest assured, they are secure and strong, meeting Federal Energy Regulatory Commission standards.

Routinely inspected and even more so when storms strike, we practice for all eventualities that could harm our hydroelectric system.

This week we’re conducing a regularly scheduled dam failure exercise with local, state and federal officials, all in the same room, all on the same page, all with the same goal: keeping the public safe.

There are plans we discuss, procedures we run through and improvements we make to that plan. We also routinely test warning sirens in the Santee River flood plain. We take dam safety very seriously--and have for the last 77 years since the lakes were formed. Here’s hoping for an uneventful remainder of the 2019 hurricane season.