Earthquake Risk Scenario Simulation at the Dam and Hydropower Plant Vidraru from Romania and Its Consequences on Energy and National Security

A disaster-type event manifested by an earthquake at a dam and a high power hydropower plant, has a very low manifestation likelihood, but the gravity can be catastrophic with a powerful impact over the flood of the area followed by human lives loss, changing and altering the environment hence losing the facility of producing electricity. Such an event can bring extreme damage for the population, society and the state by losing the involved infrastructures, generating extreme prejudice for the energetic and national security. For this reason, the authors have simulated an 8 magnitude on Richter scale earthquake risk scenario at the dam and hydropower plant Vidraru with an impact over the installations of the strategic energy purpose. The final purpose of the paper is to find ways to protect the population in case of the dam-breaking situations, flooding of the downstream areas, and damaging the infrastructures and to allow the intervention for the evacuation in safety conditions and return to a normal state (resilience).