Assessing Cost of Dam Failure
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 119, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper describes the initial phase of an investigation to develop a methodology for estimating the total costs of a dam failure. This methodology takes into account the fundamental issues of accounting stance, damage to fixed assets, loss of income, intangible losses, and loss of life and limb. A review and analysis of the English‐language literature on historical floods and dam failures was used as the starting point for developing a framework for evaluating dam‐failure costs. Cost‐related information is portrayed by type and collection priority in a data‐collection matrix to guide an on‐site investigation. This matrix was tested by evaluating five major dam failures that occurred in the United States during the past 20 years, and significant limitations in the current data base were identified. Once validated by trial data collections involving future events, the methodology might be used to assist in conducting a probabilistic safety assessment of a dam, or to develop more rational public policies aimed at risk mitigation.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Baecher, G., Pate, M. E., and de Neufville, R. (1980). “Risk of dam failure in benefit‐cost analysis.” Water Resour. Res., 16(3), 449–456.
2.
Boland, J., Ellingwood, B., Ehsani, K., Franklin, P., Hoffman, S., Jones, N., and Corotis, R. B. (1988). The cost of dam failure: A framework for analysis. Johns Hopkins Univ., Depts. of Geography and Envir. Engrg. and Civ. Engrg., Baltimore, Md.
3.
Buehler, B. (1975). “Monetary value of life and health.” J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 101(9), 29–47.
4.
Cochrane, H. (1989). “The economics of dam failure; another look at catastrophic losses.” Water Resour. Res., 25(9), 1931–1935.
5.
Cochrane, H. C., Ferrell‐Dillard, R., and Baumann, D. D. (1987). “Socioeconomic considerations in dam safety risk analysis.” IWR Report 87‐R‐7, U.S. Army Corps of Engrs., Washington, D.C.
6.
Confronting natural disasters. (1987). National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
7.
Erikson, K. T. (1976). Everything in its path: destruction of community in the buffalo creek flood. Simon and Schuster, New York, N.Y.
8.
Fischoff, B., Lichtenstein, S., Slovic, P., Derby, S. L., and Keeney, R. L., (1981). Acceptable risk. Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, N.Y., pp. 110–112.
9.
“Guidelines to decision analysis.” (1986b). ACER Memorandum No. 7, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, Colo.
10.
Handmer, J. W. (1985). “ANUFLOOD in New Zealand. Part 2: Background to flood loss measurement.” CRES Working Paper 1986/3, Dept. of Geography, Univ. of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
11.
Johnson, N. L. (1976). “Economics of permanent flood plain evacuation.” J. Irrig. and Drain. Div., ASCE, 102(3), 273–283.
12.
Kates, R. W. (1965). “Industrial flood losses: Damage estimation in the lehigh valley.” Department of Geography Research Paper No. 98, Univ. of Chicago, Ill.
13.
Lind, R. C. (1982). “A primer on the major issues relating to the discount rate for evaluating national energy options.” Discounting for time and risk in energy policy, Resour. for the Future, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1–114.
14.
McCann, M. W., Jr., Franzini, J. B., Kavazanjian, E., and Shah, H. C. (1985). “Preliminary safety evaluation of existing dams: Volumes I and II.” Reports 69–70, John A. Blume Earthquake Engrg. Ctr., Stanford Univ., Stanford, Calif.
15.
Mishan, E. J. (1984). Cost‐benefit analysis. 3rd Ed., George Allen and Unwin, London, England.
16.
Moser, D. A., and Stakhiv, E. Z. (1989). “Risk‐cost principles for dam safety analysis.” Hydr. Engrg., Proc. 1989 Nat. Conf., ASCE, New York, N.Y., 613–618.
17.
“National dam safety program: a progress report.” (1985). Report FEMA 103, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.
18.
Pate‐Cornell, E., and Tagaras, G. (1986). “Risk costs for new dams; economic analysis and effects of monitoring.” Water Resour. Res., 22(1), 5–14.
19.
A report on flood hazard mitigation. (1980). Nat. Sci. Foundation, Washington, D.C.
20.
Rose, D. (1978). “Risk of catastrophic failure of major dams.” J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 104(9), 1349–1351.
21.
Rubin, C. B., Yezer, A. M., Hassain, Q., and Webb, A. (1986). “Summary of major natural disaster incidents in the U.S.: 1965–85.” Special Publication 17, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
22.
Safety of dams: Flood and earthquake criteria. (1985). National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
23.
Safety of existing dams: Evaluation and improvement. (1983). National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
24.
Seligman, D. (1986). “How much money is your life worth?” Fortune, 113(5; Mar. 3), 25–27.
25.
Stakhiv, E., and Moser, D. (1986). “Guidelines for evaluating modifications of existing dams related to hydrologic deficiencies.” IWR Report 86‐R‐7, U.S. Army Corps of Engrs., Washington, D.C.
26.
A unified national program for floodplain management. (1979). Water Resources Council, Washington, D.C.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 119 • Issue 1 • January 1993
Pages: 64 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 8, 1991
Published online: Jan 1, 1993
Published in print: Jan 1993
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.