SES issues emergency warning with Echunga dam wall failing in South Australia
Echunga #Echunga
The State Emergency Service website says a dam wall is failing in Echunga, in the Adelaide Hills, prompting an emergency warning.
According to the SES, there is a threat to people’s safety and residents have been warned to prepare for flooding and follow their emergency plan.
Echunga is a small town in the Adelaide Hills, about 34 kilometres south-east of Adelaide.
The dam is located on farming land between Marianna St and Churchill Road.
If the path is clear, the SES has urged people to relocate to the home of family and friends outside the warning area, or to the Echunga Football Club.
State Emergency Services State Duty Officer David O’Shannessy told ABC Radio Adelaide that the dam, located less than 500 metres upstream from the town of Echunga, holds about 10 megalitres of water.
On its website, the SES said it was made aware last night that the private dam was showing signs of structural failure in its wall.
Mr O’Shannessy said there had been a deterioration in the dam wall’s integrity overnight.
“However, we are doing everything we can to mitigate that risk,” he said.
“We’re doing controlled releases of water, we’ve got engineers involved, we’ve got other experts involved.”
He said the affected area encompassed most of the central township of Echunga, including about 60 properties.
“If you are in the area you just need to follow any emergency plan you might have, prepare your home for flooding, but really we’re just asking people to move out of the area.
“We don’t think it’s inevitable that this will happen but we just want people to be prepared that if it were to happen they’re just not in the area.”
The SES said floodwaters might rise rapidly and were likely to be fast moving, warning people not to walk, drive or ride through floodwater.
A number of roads are closed, including Aldgate-Strathalbyn Road at Echunga Road, Echunga Road at Aldgate-Strathalbyn Road, Battunga Road at Meadows Road, Strathalbyn at Sophia Street and Churchill Road at Old Mount Barker Rd.