Have a family plan for Boysen Dam failure

One of the most devastating but least likely to happen disasters in Hot Springs County would be the catastrophic failure of Boysen Dam.

Completed in 1952, the 220-foot tall earthen-filled dam was built for flood control and irrigation along with a 7,500 kilowatt hydroelectric power generation plant.

Hot Springs County Emergency Management gives Boysen Dam a unique category in the list of threats to our county as the failure of the dam poses the highest risk of widespread, total carnage in the county.

No matter how slight the risk of the dam actually failing, the possibility of catastrophic failure makes it imperative to have a community plan in place.

According to Emergency Management Coordinator, Bill Gordon, in the event of dam failure, the water level in the river in Thermopolis would begin to rise an hour and fifteen minutes after notification the dam had failed.

An hour and a half later, the water would be 71-feet deep at the stoplight.

Red Lane, Lucerne and half of Kirby will be under water.

The only option for those along the river will be total evacuation.

Our community, in essence, will be gone. Utilities will cease to operate. No groceries. No water. No sewage. No power. No cell service. No telephone. No 9-1-1. No ambulance. No hospital.

Fortunately for us, Gordon, in coordination with other local agencies, has created a plan to save as many lives as possible in the event of a dam break, but it is up to each individual to create a plan as well.

One of the most important things is to make sure your vehicle is ready to go, 24/7. Evacuation will be the only way to survive, so your vehicle has to be ready to hit the road out of town within a few minutes.

Have a plan with your family that includes the children. If they are playing elsewhere and they hear the hi-low siren for a dam break, teach them they need to come home immediately. Its also a good idea to check with your neighbors, especially those who are elderly or may need assistance, to see if they need help getting out, too. Don’t forget your pets. They will die if not evacuated with you.

There are a couple of routes that are recommended for evacuation – the highway to Cody or the highway to Worland. The waters will not reach Worland until several hours later.

It isn’t going to be enough to just drive to higher ground away from the river. You will be stranded there and there will be neither shelter nor medical operations in Thermopolis to help you.

Leave Hot Springs County and don’t expect to come back any time soon.

The school district is prepared to evacuate students. Do not go to the school to pick your child up as you will just be hindering evacuation plans. Make sure you do have a location for a parent and child reunion.

Ranchers should cut their fences to allow livestock multiple opportunities for escape to higher ground.

The aftermath of a dam failure will not be pretty.

Most of the town will be destroyed. Vehicle travel in the Wind River Canyon may take months to reinstate. The railroad will be destroyed.

The lake and the river will be very deep and toxic as well.

There will be nothing to return to for at least a month, possibly forever.

Make sure you have a plan in place now, even if you never have to use it. Know where you will go, how you will get there and have everything settled now rather than last minute.

So how will you know if there’s a dam break?

Emergency Management has a special siren sound that will indicate just one thing – dam failure. The sound is a high-low siren which can be heard online on the county’s website.

You will also hear it through your NOAA Weather Radio, possibly the device that will virtually be the quickest way you can be notified. There will also be a CodeRED message sent out and an interruption on television and radio.

Gordon has a test of the specific siren for a dam break planned this Saturday at noon. Stop and listen to it so you will know in the future what is happening. It is completely different from the fire siren and tornado siren.