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posted by martyb on Saturday September 23 2017, @12:29AM   Printer-friendly
from the head-for-the-hills dept.

As if the onslaught of hurricanes Irma and Maria were not enough, the National Weather Service in San Juan is reporting that a major dam is failing in Puerto Rico and that 70,000 people are being evacuated by bus. From CBS:

The National Weather Service in San Juan said Friday that the northwestern municipalities of Isabela and Quebradillas, home to some 70,000 people, were being evacuated with buses because the nearby Guajataca Dam was failing after Hurricane Maria hit the U.S. territory.

Maria poured more than 15 inches of rain on the mountains surrounding the dam, swelling the reservoir behind it.

Details remained slim about the evacuation with communications hampered after the storm, but operators of the dam reported that the failure was causing flash-flooding downstream. The 345-yard dam holds back a man-made lake covering about 2 square miles and was built decades ago, U.S. government records show.

"Move to higher ground now," the weather service said in a statement. "This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order."

"Act quickly to protect your life," it added. "Buses will be evacuating people from these areas."

Wikipedia has a page about Guajataca Dam

NWS report on Twitter; also at Al Jazeera and BBC.


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  • (Score: 1) by darkpixel on Saturday September 23 2017, @05:42PM (3 children)

    by darkpixel (4281) on Saturday September 23 2017, @05:42PM (#572138)

    This is a U.S. Territory, is it not? Where is the U.S. Government response to the suffering of these people?

    Apparently you don't understand the purpose of government. Go back and read your constitution.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 23 2017, @09:55PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 23 2017, @09:55PM (#572175)

    Y'mean the part about "promote the general welfare"?

    the purpose of government

    I would define that as "doing the most good for the greatest number of its people".
    Your definition seems to be different.

    -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

    • (Score: 1) by darkpixel on Sunday September 24 2017, @05:09PM (1 child)

      by darkpixel (4281) on Sunday September 24 2017, @05:09PM (#572377)

      If "promote the general welfare" means what you think it means, why does the government buy everyone a nice new shiny plasma TV?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 25 2017, @01:19AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 25 2017, @01:19AM (#572500)

        Wow. It's like I'm talking to a 4 year old.

        -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]