The main problem, in this case, is the dam’s inability to hold the water. An attempt to close the hole with sandbags has failed terribly. As such, the dam can collapse at any time. The first decision that should be made is to warn people who live downstream to evacuate immediately. This decision is critical because it can save the lives of innocent people who are oblivious to the danger posed by the flash floods. Moreover, instead of trying to contain the excess water in the dam, the emergency manager should let the excess water through the spillway to reduce the pressure. Trying to contain the water is an exercise in futility, given that the water has excess pressure. More so, trying to contain the water can result in injuries or death. Lastly, the emergency manager should close the spillway once the pressure has receded. Failure to do so, the spillway will give in, and the dam will break its walls.
My decision to warn people to evacuate from surrounding areas is based on the assumption that there are people whose lives may be endangered by the dam. Moreover, I am assuming that the emergency personnel do not have effective measures to contain the water’s pressure or to prevent the spillway from gradually pilling away. These assumptions influence my decision. Given all the facts, I believe the best solution is to evacuate people and let nature take its course. To reach this conclusion, I considered the merits and demerits of the other available solutions. As such, I determined that trying to contain water in the dam is impossible, given the pressure of the water. I believe that the dam will burst its walls and lead to a massive mudslide. Hence, my priority is to save lives as opposed to saving the dam.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.