You'd think in a seismically active area like California that every potentially earthquake-producing fault to be found would've been identified. It turns out there are plenty of such faults hiding in the ground, and one of them has just been found.
And this fault holds the potential of producing more than just an earthquake — it could also release a flood from a nearby dam.
Scientists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were inspecting the Martis Creek Dam, which sits just outside Truckee, Calif., and about 35 miles upstream from Reno. It is one of 10 dams in the United States that has “urgent and compelling” safety concerns, according to the Corps, which owns the dam. Data from the most recent evaluation revealed that, not only does the dam have significant leakage, it also lies in close proximity to not two, but three fault zones.
Although this fault is technically over 250 miles North East of the Central Valley, it doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared. As science is improving we are able to detect new faults all the time. For all we know, a new fault could pop-up along any of the 7 dams in our region. We can never predict when disaster will strike, but we can be prepared for when it does. Learn more how you can Be Red Cross Ready today!
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