Chinook helicopter joins Whaley Bridge dam operation 

Workers on the scene have been pumping water out of the Toddbrook Reservoir after part of its spillway wall collapsed following heavy rains, jeopardising the lives of those who live in the shadow of the structure. Almost all of Whaley Bridge’s 6,500 residents have now been evacuated as work continued through the night to manage the risk, but authorities say the threat of the dam failing remains.

“Due to heavy rainfall in Whaley Bridge area, the spillway is now broken and a big chunk of its concrete structure is damaged,” said Dr Mohammad Heidarzadeh, Assistant Professor, Head of Coastal Engineering and Resilience LAB (CERLAB), Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Brunel University London. “There is a possibility that the spillway could then become fully broken in a few hours. If the spillway is fully gone, the embankment dam will be washed away very rapidly which could cause a massive flood.”