When a facility becomes flooded-a case study [telephone power supplies]

Hydroelectric power is one of the only mixtures of water and electricity which leave people smiling. Unwanted water is cause for concern in anyone´s electrical system-and certainly in the telephone business. Generally, sites away from flood planes are selected for central offices and other network installations. Despite planning efforts to establish “dry” sites, land development and highway construction can drastically alter the contour of the land and a site which always was secure now becomes vulnerable to flash flooding. This paper shares an experience with a flash flood in a Pennsylvania (USA) town during which a 1,500 line digital switching system, transport systems and power plant equipment became flooded. The paper explores what worked, what didn´t work and what proactive measures are being taken to avoid this in the future. Additionally, since raising the equipment was part of the “fix”, this paper shares the results of simulated earthquake tests performed on full-scale models of the bays