BREAKING: No Word When Evacuation Order for 188,000 Will be Lifted as Threat of Oroville Dam Spillway Failure Remains
February 12, 2017
"Uncontrolled release of flood waters"...
Mandatory evacuations ordered for Yuba, Sutter and Butte counties, including Hallwood, Marysville, Olivehurst/Linda, Plumas Lake, Gridley, Live Oak and Yuba City due to potential failure of Oroville Dam spillway.
A massive hole in the main spillway is causing major erosion around the Oroville Dam in California.
The hole formed Tuesday and has continued to grow since then. The spillway hasn't been used since the dam was opened in 1968.
Yolo County opens shelter
Yolo County has opened a shelter to assist those affected by the Oroville Dam spillway evacuation at the Yolo County Fairgrounds in the home arts building, 1250 East Gum Avenue, Woodland.
Massive state response in place for dam emergency
State officials have activated hundreds of people to help deal with the Oroville Dam crisis, sending 100 California Highway Patrol officers to the region and placing 1,200 California National Guard members on notice that they may be needed.
Three CHP helicopters and two aircraft have been dispatched to help with search and rescue, if needed, swift water rescue teams have been sent to the area and military police are being dispatched to help.
“The situation has been stressful,” said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the state Office of Emergency Services. “It’s complex and rapidly changing, so we are doing everything we can to support Butte County and the local authorities to be able to address most of the folks who have been displaced.”
Main spillway holding even as massive releases continue
The huge water releases that officials began to thwart an emergency at the Oroville Dam do not appear to be causing new damage to the main spillway, the acting director of the state’s Department of Water Resources said late Sunday.
Bill Croyle said pushing water out of the main spillway at 100,000 cfs hadn't seemed to cause any additional damage so far. "We haven't seen any," he said.
But he added that the main spillway will continue to be monitored constantly. "With a damaged spillway we want to be careful."
As long as the integrity of the main spillway holds, he believes he can push 1.2 million acre-feet of water out in a day's time, which would represent one third of the reservoir's total capacity. However, with water still flowing in at 40,000 cfs, the lake will remain relatively full; Croyle didn't know how full.
The erosion on the hillside below the emergency spillway is adjacent to a spot where the lip of the emergency structure is about 10 feet high, he said.
Governor issues emergency order to assist in dealing with Oroville Dam crisis
Gov. Jerry Brown’s office said he has issued an emergency order to help authorities deal with the evacuation and other efforts associated with concerns over the potential for flooding from Oroville Dam spillways.
Located about 150 miles northeast of San Francisco, Oroville Lake is one of the largest man-made lakes in California. The 770-foot-tall Oroville Dam is the nation's tallest dam.
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