Posted on 07/23/2010 7:52:49 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
BEIJING – Record-high water levels at China's massive Three Gorges Dam have called into question Beijing's claims that the world's largest hydroelectric project could withstand a 10,000-year flood.
The water level reached 518 feet (158 meters) Saturday morning, just 55 feet (17 meters) from the reservoir's maximum capacity of 573 feet (175 meters), flood control headquarters in the central province of Hubei told The Associated Press.
Water could go higher with China's national weather center issuing a warning Saturday of more torrential rains for the region through 8 a.m. Sunday.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Since you asked and I was there... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=translate+Bush%27s+fault+to+chinese&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
So they have gone from a design that will withstand a 10,000-year event, to 1,000-year, ah, solly, 100-year event. Dam! Never could get those zeros right.
“The TGD is primarily a flood control mechanism. Power is important, but perhaps not as important as that. Failure of that structure would be beyond catastrophic. Millions - and I mean millions - of peole dead.
The economic consequence would also be beyond catastrophic - the ensuing flood would destroy numerous cites with all of their industry and infrastructure. China would convulse with social upheval in the wake of this catastrophe. It’s possible that China would do what it has always done when its dynasties and regimes collapse - revert to chaos and warlordism for a time.”
How many constructs of man have not eventually failed?
Like Paul Simon wrote in a wise moment, “everything put together eventually falls apart”.
What were the Chinese thinking when they built that thing?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2537279.ece
Three Gorges Dam is a disaster in the making, China admits
September 27, 2007
(excerpt)
In an unprecedented admission of blame, Communist Party officials gave a stark warning yesterday of impending disaster in the vast area around the dam if preventive measures are not urgently introduced.
One of the most worrying consequences of the project has been the sharp increase in landslides around the dam. Studies by geologists have shown that the water seeping out of the reservoir and the huge pressure changes are weakening the banks.
One official said that the shore of the reservoir had collapsed in 91 places and a total of 36 kilometres (22 miles) had already caved in.
Landslides have produced waves as high as 50 metres (165ft). In July a mountain along a tributary collapsed, dragging 13 farmers to their deaths and drowning 11 fishermen.
Ms Dai told The Times: “The Government knows it has made a mistake. Now they are afraid that the catastrophe that they cannot prevent will spark civil unrest. So they want to go public before the troubles start.”
Two things:
Power - as in personal power
and Face
What if this is a 20,000 year flood?
Wold their new names be Bob?
They didnt bother with geological surveys either.
I broke the dam
Wow!
Wow!
Most deaths by flooding in history. Top 4 are all in China
1.
Huang He (Yellow) River, China
1931
Death Toll: 1,000,000 to 3,700,000
The Huang He River is prone to flooding because of the broad expanse of plain that lies around it. One of the major reasons for the flooding is the high silt content that gives the river its yellow tint (and thus its name). The silt—which constitutes as much as 60% of its volume—builds up until the river actually is higher than the surrounding land. The tendency to flood is exacerbated by ice dams which block the river in Mongolia; the dams back up the water, and then release devastating walls of water when they break.
The history of flooding has prompted the Communist Chinese government to embark on a program of building dams for flood control. The dams, however, have not proven entirely effective and have been the target of criticism from environmentalists.
2.
Huang He (Yellow) River, China
1887
Death Toll: 900,000 to 2,000,000
3.
Huang He (Yellow) River, China
1938
Death Toll: 500,000 - 900,000
The 1938 flood of the Huang He was caused by Nationalist Chinese troops under Chiang Kai-Shek when they broke the levees in an attempt to turn back advancing Japanese troops. The strategy was partly successful. By 1940, the Japanese were essentially in a stalemate with Chinese forces.
4.
Huang He (Yellow) River, China
1642
Death Toll: 300,000
Chinese rebels destroy the dikes along the city of Kaifeng, flooding the surrounding countryside.
Oh, I see what you're saying. Because of the total disregard of our carbon footprint we are all responsible for breaking the dam.
I’ll tell you what. If that Ozone Hole isn’t dealt with, I’ll just make money. Keep that other crap at bay for a time.
Yes! And when you think it is hot outside,it is actually very very cold.Cause silicon beats carbon, everytime.
or the reverse,depends on the hemisphere.
It seems, with the terrible history of flooding in China - and deaths by flooding, that the citizens are almost immune to the shock of it.
One one trip down the river, we saw a body floating in the river near the gorges. It looked like a pile of clothiing, but on closer look, it was a body. When we pointed it out to the guide, she simply said it was probably from the floods they had the previous spring. And on we went -— and so did all the other boats on the river.
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