Oroville Dam Failure In California May Cause Catastrophic Damage

[Still_Small_Voice]

OROVILLE, Calif. (Associated Press) — Officials have ordered residents near one of the nation’s biggest dams to evacuate the area, saying a “hazardous situation is developing” after an emergency spillway severely eroded.

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/02/12/officials-in-central-california-order-emergency-evacuations-amid-imminent-collapse-of-large-dam/

[Still_Small_Voice]

I grew up about 60 miles from this area in my youth.  Here is to hoping the dam does not fail.  It may cause over massive amounts of water to spill out of control into the rivers causing enormous amounts of damage to many of peoples' homes and properties in the area.

[Still_Small_Voice]

Update on the story:

Lake Oroville water levels have fallen to 901 feet, the level at which water flows over the emergency spillway, state figures from 8 p.m. show.

That means little or no water is likely coming over the emergency spillway – and the threat of collapse due to erosion has diminished said Joe Countryman, a member of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and a former engineer with the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article132332499.html

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article132332499.html#storylink=cpy

[Just_A_Guy]

Good news.  I have an aunt in Oroville who's still trying to get out, and two more uncles and tons of extended family in the Gridley area.

It sounds like there's a new batch of storms coming later in the week.  If that's true we aren't out of the woods by a long shot...

[Still_Small_Voice]

Apparently several groups warned officials twelve years ago that the Oroville dam spillway could fail because it was not reinforced with concrete.

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/12/oroville-dam-feds-and-state-officials-ignored-warnings-12-years-ago/