Dams That Can Break at Any Point And Flood Entire Cities

Bright Side

Some of the world’s biggest dams are holding back enormous amounts of water—and a scary amount of potential danger. This video dives into dams that are aging, poorly maintained, or built in risky areas, making them ticking time bombs. Imagine entire cities getting flooded in minutes if one of these structures fails. It’s happened before, like the Banqiao Dam disaster in China, and experts warn it could happen again. With climate change bringing heavier rains and extreme weather, the pressure on these dams is only growing. This is a wake-up call about the hidden risks we don’t always think about but definitely should!  Credit: Pakistan in 4K / YouTube ABC10 / YouTube Blue Ocean Network / YouTube CBS 17 / YouTube Library of Congress / YouTube Superman / Dovemead Films Wilson Antunes / YouTube TVR Exploring / YouTube Aravind Gundumane / YouTube bruisedbums / YouTube Drones in the Wild / YouTube Japanese 4K Traveler / YouTube Animation is created by Bright Side.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV   Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en Telegram: https://t.me/bright_side_official   Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00The concrete of gigantic construction is cracking, barely keeping thousands of tons of water under control.

00:07That's when a tiny quake shakes the ground. It becomes a game changer.

00:12The old dam gives up.

00:14An enormous amount of water dashes through the rapidly growing ruptures, pressing on the crumbling wall of stone.

00:21Another moment, and the huge dam disappears among powerful waterfalls, rushing toward the village down in the valley.

00:29When a large dam hits 50 years old, it reaches its alert age.

00:33But it's basically a warning that maintaining the dam is going to get much harder.

00:38And the risk factor starts going up.

00:41A recent study by the UN Institute for Water, Environment and Health discovered that the UK and Japan have the most dams in this alert age category.

00:51No wonder. In both countries, the average dam is over 100 years old.

00:57If you, like me, are wondering why so many dams are getting old at the same time, the answer is pretty simple.

01:04Back in the middle of the 20th century, there was a massive dam building boom.

01:09In the late 1950s through the 1970s, countries built over 1,100 dams every year.

01:15But after 1990, the construction frenzy slowed down.

01:19No more than 500 new dams appeared every year.

01:23And since 2000, this number has dropped even more.

01:26To below 300.

01:28But the huge problem is that many of the dams built during that mid-century boom are all aging at the same time.

01:36And a lot of countries are facing infrastructure problems at the moment.

01:40Because what happens when these dams get too old?

01:43If they're not maintained, they're likely to start to fail.

01:46And that's a real disaster.

01:48Both for water supplies and safety.

01:51It's like a ginormous water-based game of Jenga.

01:55And like in the real thing, we need to make sure those pieces don't fall.

02:01A disaster like the one we're talking about happened to the Bancha'a Dam built in 1952.

02:07This structure collapsed in 1975 after catastrophic rains from Typhoon Nina, leading to the loss of up to 240,000 lives.

02:18One of the reasons was the dam's poor design.

02:21It wasn't built to withstand extreme conditions.

02:24So, when the region faced unprecedented downpours, the dam overflowed and collapsed.

02:30I bet you're now super eager to know whether that dam near your home is going to fail.

02:35Well, if you find it on our list of the world's most dangerous dams, maybe it's time to relocate.

02:42The Hoover Dam is one of the highest dams in the USA, standing on the Colorado River at the border between Nevada and Arizona.

02:51Towering at over 726 feet, it's a stunning sight, as well as a powerhouse of energy.

02:58Its base is as thick as two soccer fields are long, and each spillway can handle the volume of water that flows over Niagara Falls.

03:06But, experts warn that if the gigantic Hoover Dam breaks down, it'll most likely lead to catastrophic consequences, putting millions of lives at risk.

03:18The problem is, the dam is getting old.

03:20Plus, it's located in a seismically active area.

03:26The Almendra Dam is the highest dam in Spain.

03:29It was constructed between 1963 and 1970, and its main purpose is to control the flow of the River Tormes.

03:38This dam is no joke.

03:40Just a small manipulation could unleash a wave of destruction.

03:44So, it's actually a serious concern for those living downstream.

03:50The Jinping Dam, often referred to as the Jinping First Cascade, is the tallest dam in the world.

03:57Its height is 1,001 feet.

04:00You'll find it in China.

04:02It was constructed to regulate the flow of the Yelung River.

04:06This structure carries immense responsibility, producing between 16 and 18 billion kilowatt-hours annually.

04:15The average U.S. household consumes about 11,000 kilowatt-hours per year.

04:20It means that the energy produced by the Jinping Hydropower Station is enough to supply around 1.6 million households.

04:28The Kariba Dam is a colossal structure built on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

04:35Multiple authorities carry out its maintenance, but according to reports, if repairs are not conducted as soon as possible,

04:42the dam could lead to terrible destruction in the surrounding regions.

04:46It's crucial to keep an eye on this giant.

04:50The Mosul Dam is one of the most dangerous dams in the world.

04:54It's constructed of loose mud instead of concrete.

04:58This design mishap has led to ongoing erosion.

05:01The mud gets washed away by the river slowly and steadily.

05:05People work around the clock to repair and maintain the dam, but it's still a crucial site of concern.

05:12The Iduki Dam, located in Kerala, India, is a magnificent, double-curvature arch dam standing on the Periyar River.

05:21It's one of the highest arch dams in Asia, and it holds a huge volume of water.

05:26If a problem occurs at this dam, the consequences will be tragic for large areas.

05:31Such a disaster is likely to wipe out countless lives.

05:35So, the upkeep of the dam is crucial for everyone's safety.

05:40The Three Gorges Dam in China is one of the largest dams in the world, and the world's biggest hydroelectric power station, completed in 2012.

05:49The dam is nearly 600 feet tall and stretches for 7,660 feet.

05:55That's more than half the width of Manhattan.

05:58The construction is so huge and powerful that experts say it's even had serious impacts on Earth itself.

06:05For example, affecting the rotation of our planet.

06:09However great it is, this dam poses a serious risk to the environment and safety.

06:15For one thing, it was built in an earthquake-prone area. Yikes!

06:20Plus, sediment buildup in the reservoir might make the construction less stable.

06:25Also, when they were building this dam, they had to relocate over a million people and significantly change the ecosystem.

06:34Famous for its beauty, the Monticello Dam in the USA attracts thousands of visitors each year.

06:40One of the reasons people are so eager to come there is its captivating glory hole.

06:46Indeed, at first sight, it may look like a picturesque feature.

06:50But in reality, this glory hole is actually a doorway to danger.

06:55It's basically a giant concrete funnel sticking up out of the dam.

06:59When the lake's surface level rises over 440 feet above sea level, which is close to overflowing the dam,

07:06the water starts draining out through the funnel as if from a bathtub.

07:11It creates a hypnotizing swirl, but you wouldn't want to get too close and get lost in the process.

07:17Nestled on the Columbia River in Washington, the Grand Coulee Dam has been powering the Pacific Northwest since 1942.

07:25It contains nearly 12 million cubic yards of concrete,

07:29which is enough to build a sidewalk 4 feet wide and 4 inches thick and wrap it twice around the equator.

07:35But this magnificent structure has some worries too.

07:39It's an aging structure, and at over 80 years old, it needs lots of TLC.

07:45It's located in a seismically active zone, which brings its stability into question.

07:50The Kurobe Dam in Japan is a stunning 610 feet tall.

07:55It was finished in 1963, so the structure is already pretty old.

08:00Japan's earthquakes makes this dam a bit nervous too.

08:04And last but not least, the area is prone to heavy rainfall.

08:08Intense rain might put extra pressure on the structure.

08:13On the Indus River, the Tarbela Dam is the largest earth-filled dam in the world.

08:18It was completed in 1976.

08:21Its issues include sediment buildup, which reduces its storage capacity.

08:25Plus, climate change has altered water flow, threatening the stability of the dam.

08:31The main reason we build dams is for irrigation.

08:34They help get water to our crops,

08:36and a whopping 40% of the food we eat around the globe depends on these big water-holding structures.

08:44Next on the list is hydropower.

08:46Dams are like giant batteries, turning flowing water into electricity.

08:51Then we have water supply, flood control, and even such fun activities as boating and fishing.

08:57But since dams are getting older, something needs to be done to protect people living close to them.

09:03The U.S. is leading the way in something called dam removal,

09:06having taken down more than 1,200 dams in the last 30 years.

09:11Old dams are not only risky, but also expensive to maintain.

09:15So taking them down is often the smartest and cheapest move.

09:20That's it for today.

09:21So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

09:26Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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