Hurricane Creek W/s Dam Site 11 is an earth dam located in Madison County, Alabama, built in 1964. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 40 ft40 ft tall and 640 ft long, taller than 86% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Hurricane Creek W/s Dam Site 11
The primary purpose of Hurricane Creek W/s Dam Site 11 is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Judson O. Bailey (private). It impounds the Killingsworth Cove Branch near Gurley.
The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 640 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 78 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1964, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. The most recent inspection on record was 03/14/2014. That was 12 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 86% of dams nationwide.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. Alabama is the only state with no dam safety program, so there is no state office to contact about this structure; the federal record above is what exists. ASDSO's page on Alabama explains the gap.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Alabama |
| County | Madison |
| Nearest City | Gurley |
| River/Stream | Killingsworth Cove Branch |
| Coordinates | 34.78536, -86.35505 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Length | 640 ft |
| Year Completed | 1964 (62 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 78 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 78 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 30 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 8 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,600 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Judson O. Bailey |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 03/14/2014 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL01017 |
| Federal ID | AL01017 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |