If the Hoover Dam broke, it would lead to severe problems and damage. Here are some of the potential consequences:
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Catastrophic Flooding: The most immediate damage would be caused by catastrophic flooding, damaging if not completely destroying many towns, cities, and Native American reservations in the surrounding states. The entire region downriver would suffer from immense flooding, and the dams downstream would fail one by one as the additional water pressure weakened them and spillage overflowed the top.
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Loss of Water: The loss of water would be another significant consequence of the Hoover Dam breaking. The lake side portion of the Hoover Dam holds more than 10 trillion gallons of water, and the loss of this water would have a significant impact on the availability of water for consumption.
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Agricultural Damage: Local agriculture would suffer from the loss of water, leading to the risk of mass starvation.
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Power Outages: Las Vegas sources electricity from the Hoover Dam, and without it, the city would experience at least partial blackouts.
It is difficult to imagine what could cause such a break, but if disaster struck and the Hoover Dam stopped functioning, a catastrophic amount of water from Lake Mead would be released. The position of the dam means that practically no residential areas are getting hit, and the river it would empty into is mountains on either side.
