Photo By Ernest Henry | Participants from multiple agencies gather for the John H. Kerr Dam tabletop emergency...... read more read more
JOHN H. KERR DAM, Va. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District joined Dominion Energy, local emergency managers, the National Weather Service and other stakeholders last week for a dam safety tabletop exercise at the John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir.
While the simulated emergency was hypothetical, the exercise had very real implications for public safety and interagency coordination.
Tabletop exercises like this are a cornerstone of the Corps’ Dam Safety Program, designed to test and refine emergency action plans in a low-stress environment.
“It’s an opportunity for us to grow our relationships with those we don’t interact with every day,” said Tamara Murphy, chief of the Engineering Branch for the Wilmington District. “That includes county emergency managers, downstream operators and weather service partners. It helps ensure that when something goes wrong, we already know each other — and we know our roles.”
While dam failures are rare, their consequences can be significant. These exercises ensure each agency — from federal to local — knows exactly what to do, who to contact and what resources are needed when minutes matter.
“We want to be prepared in these low-stress environments where there’s no emergency happening and we can all think freely,” said Megan Garrett, dam safety program manager for the district. “That way, if an emergency does come up, it’s not brand new — we’ve already talked through it.”
Both Garrett and Murphy emphasized that these exercises don’t just test plans — they improve them. From updating emergency contacts to discussing technical responses to potential issues like backward piping or overtopping, participants use the opportunity to identify gaps and build confidence.
“I have a better understanding of what my role would be,” Murphy said. “And it’s a chance to think through what different levels of emergency actually mean in practice.”
The Corps conducts these exercises regularly across its portfolio of nine dams, with frequency based on each structure’s safety classification. At John H. Kerr, the event reinforced a shared commitment to public safety and interagency coordination.
“Everyone has their own areas of expertise and priorities,” Garrett said. “These exercises help align those priorities so we can act quickly and cohesively when it counts.”
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2025 09:10 |
| Story ID: | 543973 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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