Heavy rainfall led to the accumulation of excess water in Toddbrook reservoir dam. It is in Derbyshire and the dam suffered damages due to floods. There was an imminent danger to residents of the nearby town of Whaley Bridge. It seems a huge hole appeared in the wall of the dam. It could lead to a serious situation and put lives at risk. Therefore, the authorities evacuated the people from 400 houses on short notice to ensure their safety. The authorities explained that it was “an unprecedented, fast-moving, emergency situation.” Most of them were retirees and older people.

The Guardian reports that in case of the dam burst, the waters would gush out and submerge parts of Whaley Bridge and neighboring areas downstream under an unimaginable volume of water. The reservoir contained 1.3m tonnes of water and could pose a risk to lives and properties. As a precautionary measure, the Environment Agency issued a warning that covered the river Goyt. The reason cited was the possibility that its level could rise at a rapid pace due to water escaping from the dam.

The authorities have pressed helicopter into service

Efforts are on to divert the flow of water so that it does not enter the reservoir.

Deputy chief constable Rachel Swann said the collapse of the wall would mean very real danger. Hence, a Chinook helicopter of the RAF will operate in the area. It will shift necessary material into position for further action by a multi-agency task force. Already firefighters are using pumps to remove water and reduce it to a safe level.

The Guardian reports on the observation of a resident. In his opinion, this is a result of Global warming. He blames the deterioration of the environment also. He feels it happened due to overdevelopment of land that has robbed the region of its natural flood defenses.

This could be avoided if there is some sort of restriction on the construction of buildings in places where water can runoff from the hills.

Damage to the Toddbrook Reservoir dam threatens lives

According to ABC AU, the Derbyshire Police shifted hundreds of residents of Whaley Bridge to a local school. They resorted to such an action because a portion of the concrete wall of Toddbrook Reservoir dam, located just above the town, crumbled. There are warnings of severe floods for the River Goyt below the reservoir.

The damage to the wall could threaten lives. Derbyshire Police confirmed that their primary concern is for the safety of the people. There was heavy rainfall over the past few in northern parts of England.

That led to the present situation. Those who are involved with the maintenance of the dam confirmed that its team of engineers are examining the issue to decide on how best to preserve the integrity of the structure. The reservoir was originally built in the 1830s and rebuilt in the 1980s.
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