Dear John,

Imagine getting an urgent alert that you must evacuate your home because a dam in your community is in danger of failing. Imagine having to flee as floodwaters devastate your home and your neighborhood.

That’s what happened in Michigan recently – Edenville and Sanford dams failed, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, and once again raising serious questions about the condition of dams in the U.S. and what can be done to help prevent this from happening elsewhere.

Take action today: urge Congress to strengthen dam safety rules to better protect people and the environment.

What happened in Michigan is not new. We’ve seen dam safety scares in recent years in California, Nebraska and South Carolina. As climate change brings more frequent and severe flooding, putting additional strain on aging and outdated dams, the problem is only going to get worse.

Act now to tell Congress how they can help. This includes:

• Strengthen evaluation and enforcement by ensuring state dam safety offices are adequately funded
• Mandatory notification for people living in dam breach inundation zones

Thank you for speaking up for the safety of our communities and the health of our rivers.