A powerful earthquake in the Midlands of South Carolina could threaten the Lake Murray Dam, which holds nearly 650 billion gallons of water. Experts say a breach is unlikely, but emergency officials are preparing for the worst. Full story: Could an earthquake damage Lake Murray Dam? It’s unlikely, but not impossible
Here are the key points:
• The failure of two 213-foot-tall dams at the Dreher Shoals Dam facility will send floodwaters south of Interstate 20 into the Congaree Swamp, covering an area of 210 square miles and as far as 35 miles in half a day. Kim Stenson, director of the South Carolina Department of Emergency Management, said more than 150,000 people would be affected.
• A backup dam capable of withstanding a magnitude 7.3 earthquake was completed in 2005 after federal officials concluded that the original dam would not be able to withstand the strongest earthquake that could occur in the region.
• Earthquakes occur in the Colombian region, usually between Elgin and Lugoff, with maximum magnitudes reaching 3.5. U.S. Geological Survey research geologist Tom Pratt said serious damage would only occur after a magnitude 6 earthquake.
• There is a fault line beneath Lake Murray, but there is no history of fault line activity. “We don’t know if this will lead to something bigger, it’s unlikely,” Platt said.
The above summary was compiled and edited by reporters with the help of artificial intelligence tools. The full story linked at the top was entirely reported, written and edited by journalists.
