Between 2:18 and 2:20 a.m. local time on June 6, in the quiet town of Kakhovka, a devastating catastrophe unfolded—one that would have far-reaching consequences, both locally and globally. The world watched in shock as one of the largest reservoirs on the planet, an essential source of irrigation for the breadbasket of Europe, was ruptured, displacing thousands and placing the region’s food supplies in jeopardy. The incident left behind a trail of destruction, not only in terms of human lives and livelihoods but also in the realm of environmental preservation. For over a year and a half, Ukrainian soldiers fought to protect their homeland against invading Russian forces with each side taking heavy bombings and artillery attacks. However, no one could have predicted the complete destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. As the New York Times reports, “Ihor Strelets, an engineer who served as the deputy head of water resources for the Dnipro River from 2005 until 2018, said that as a Cold War construction project, the dam’s foundation was designed to withstand almost any kind of external attack.” Throughout a war filled with complete destruction of towns and farms, the loss of the Kakhovka Dam was seen as impossible and a sure piece of infrastructure that would survive the war. Yet, with the rubble from the dam and the ensuing tsunami-like flood, the resulting devastation sparks a question about the efficacy and safety of such dams in the future.

These questions about the safety of our dams are not unwarranted and the facts are surprisingly alarming. In an article published by NPR just last year, an Associated Press analysis found that “More than 2,200 dams built upstream from homes or communities are in poor condition across the U.S., likely endangering lives if they were to fail.” The industrialization of America and the world is still seen in these infrastructures built nearly 80 years ago. These precarious conditions are also reflected in the opinion of some Issaquah High School students. Junior Arthur Gao says that “dam collapses”are the most concerning aspect of dams. Additionally, sophomore Austin Ryu adds that “Concerns about dams can include potential flooding, disruption of natural river ecosystems, and the impact on fish migration patterns.” Dam collapses, also known as dam failures, are not uncommon throughout the world, with many conflicts happening as recently as this month. In Libya, mass flooding exacerbated by the negligence and collapse of dams lead to the thousands of deaths and thousands more missing. According to the New York Times, “In a catastrophe recalling Hurricane Katrina, a heavy storm burst through dams to unleash their waters on the city of Derna, sweeping away entire neighborhoods.” In response to the floods, the Scientific American reports that “similar conditions are replicated in many other places worldwide. In the aftermath of Derna’s dam collapses, experts are calling for renewed attention to the international problem of aging, ill-maintained dams.” In addition, freshman Jasmine Kwan says that “if [dams] threaten human lives, [we] must repair them.” Unfortunately, as Scientific American further reports, “many countries’ dams are, on average, older than age 50 and are at increasing risk of failure. This includes in the U.S., which has the second-highest number of large dams in the world after China and where the average large dam is 65 years old.” The rising information on the conditions of dams throughout the world is alarming yet not surprising. Most of the world’s large dams were built after World War Two in order to support the increasing demand for energy, clean water, and booming agricultural economies such as Ukraine.

Despite Ukraine’s unique circumstances in being in the midst of a war, the massive and deadly dam collapse that shocked the world serves only as an omen to the awaiting doom of many other dams. The Kakhovka Dam is not a one-of-one occurrence, but it reminds the world of the actions that need to be taken after 80 years of ignorance and delay. Jonathan Edwards, a leading figure of the American Enlightenment, spoke in his sermon “from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” “If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power.” Edwards grasps the ensuing chaos from dam failures in his analogy to God that serves a chilling warning for officials today. If nothing were to be done with these dams, it can only be said that the water “would rush forth with inconceivable fury” and take the lives of not just the thousands at Derna, but reach the millions.

Fortunately, there is a positive outlook to the seemingly impossible outlook ahead. Now that worldwide government officials have gained information on the failures of dams and received physical warnings from dam collapses across the world, dam repairs can become a leading point in the protection of national security. Dams will always be required, as senior Isabella May knows, saying, “Energy is a crucial resource that dams are a major contributor for” while also producing “clean energy.” Since dams are not going away, neither will their issues which is why this problem must be acted upon immediately. Climate change will only increase pressure on these dams and if nothing is done before that first crack, then so be it that we all become enveloped by “the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God.”