Tens Of Thousands In Puerto Rico Told To Evacuate Immediately As Dam Cracks

About 70,000 people in Puerto Ricos northwestern municipalities of Isabela and Quebradillas were being urged to evacuate immediately Friday after the Guajataca Dam there was found to be in imminent danger of failing.

Engineers found a crack in the 88-year-old structure during an inspection after Hurricane Maria left the island Wednesday. The storm dumped more than 20 inches of rain across a wide swath of the island.

A complete failure of the dam would unleash a deadly, fast-moving wave of water as the 2-square-mile lake it once held back is funneled downhill.

215PM FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY for A Dam Failure in Isabela Municipality y Quebradillas Municipality in Puerto Rico... #prwx pic.twitter.com/L3utOjxspR

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215PM FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY for A Dam Failure in Isabela Municipality y Quebradillas Municipality in Puerto Rico... #prwx pic.twitter.com/L3utOjxspR
NWS San Juan (@NWSSanJuan) September 22, 2017

Per the National Weather Service, the dam began failing at 2:10 Friday afternoon. Authorities were busing as many people as they could to safety. Those who had the means to evacuate were told to do so immediately:

All Areas surrounding the Guajataca River should evacuate NOW. Their lives are in DANGER! Please SHARE! #prwx

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All Areas surrounding the Guajataca River should evacuate NOW. Their lives are in DANGER! Please SHARE! #prwx
NWS San Juan (@NWSSanJuan) September 22, 2017

Compounding problems, Hurricane Maria destroyed 95 percent of the U.S. territorys cell towers and all of Puerto Rico is without power, frustrating efforts to notify those downstream.

We dont know what the details are, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossell said at a news conference Friday. We are evacuating everywhere.

The Army Corps of Engineers considers all of Puerto Ricos 37 dams to be high hazard potential dams not because theyre all at risk of failure but because of the risk they pose to human lives, the economy and the environment should they fail.