BREAKING: Fearing collapse of emergency spillway at Oroville Dam, Oroville evacuated

They are evacuating citys below the dam

The news is saying that the auxiliary spillway can fail at anytime sending uncontrolled amounts of water down the feather river.

16000 people live in Oreville that is only 3 miles from the dam.

Just heard evacuations have been expanded to Marysville/Yuba City and as far south as Wheatland which is too close for comfort for me, I have friends and coworkers throughout that area.

From my link in the OP; updated

Flows boosted to try to avoid collapse 5:52 p.m. Releases through the main spillway at Oroville Dam have been boosted to 100,000 cubic feet per second from 55,000 cfs in hopes of easing pressure on the emergency spillway before a failure occurs, officials said Sunday night. Kevin Dossey, a Department of Water Resources engineer and spokesman said “it might help” to alleviate the pressure. So far, Dossey said, the emergency spillway’s concrete lip at the top has not crumbled, although the hillside had “eroded to within several feet” of the big concrete structure. Marysville and Yuba County ordered evacuated; officials unsure how Sacramento could be hit

The news is now saying there could be a failure in as soon as 60 minutes

There is a flash flood warning being broadcast on the news

This is pretty scary. I live about 75 miles from the dam

I hear on the live stream, they are starting to open both lanes on 99 to southbound evacuating traffic.

Also press conference due soon.



Thanks stosh64 for the live stream.

originally posted by: jappee
I hear on the live stream, they are starting to open both lanes on 99 to southbound evacuating traffic.

good. should have done that way earlier.....only reason not to do so would be to keep a lane open for emergency vehicles.

The live feed is confusing. One screen says it has failed and the other says it could. Which is it?

originally posted by: In4ormant
The live feed is confusing. One screen says it has failed and the other says it could. Which is it?

It looks like it could fail at any minute.. the side of the lake is eroding..

the spill way is a structure that is broken already, but that is not a structure that holds water back..

is that your confusion?

they increased the flow into the spillway to 100,000 cubit feet/second.. Hoping to release pressure to the left of that where the lake is going over the edge of the dam..

originally posted by: RedDragon
Lmao California's state budget is $250 billion dollars and they can't maintain their largest dam. Third world countries do this.

Political corruption is where all that money went. Now peoples' lives are going to be destroyed and some people are probably going to die.

Well, you can lead a horse to water but you cant make the horse with its priorities upside down build a proper damn.

Will this open up the possibility for lawsuits?....not that the horse can afford to pay up!

a reply to: Reverbs

I'm not confused as to what it is but one screen says spillway has failed and the other says spillway could fail.

originally posted by: In4ormant
The live feed is confusing. One screen says it has failed and the other says it could. Which is it?

It hasn't failed but could. It's releasing a huge amount of water right now to try to drain the lake to a controllable level. It's not a 100% thing that it will fail. They're just trying to evacuate just incase.

originally posted by: In4ormant
a reply to: Reverbs

I'm not confused as to what it is but one screen says spillway has failed and the other says spillway could fail.

NO you are confused..

the spillway IS BROKEN completely destroyed almost..

THAT is NOT what is about to fail.

Spillway is like a giant water slide.. the slide is half gone. The SIDE OF THE DAMN is what might fail.. It's to the left where the water is going over dirt eroding things off that side as well..

a reply to: In4ormant

the original spillway "failed" two days ago, that spillway failure was really just the ramp going downhill. The emergency spillway, which is is a small 30ft tall vertical damn, is what they fear will fail any minute now.

a reply to: AnonymousMoose

Gotcha. I just noticed one said emergency and the other auxiliary.

Maybe I should have stopped at 1 bottle of wine.

that is a huge amount of water coming down the emergency spillway.......news guy said it has failed

originally posted by: jappee
I hear on the live stream, they are starting to open both lanes on 99 to southbound evacuating traffic.

Also press conference due soon.

Thanks stosh64 for the live stream.

Sorry edit; I miss heard the report...99 is open to ONLY NORTHBOUND lanes. I don't know how to strikeout on ATS.

ALSO live press conference has started..



Audio has been dodgy...

originally posted by: jappee


ALSO live press conference has started..

but very hard to follow feed in and out.

damage not increasing as fast as they thought it would.

garble garble..

2 inches coming over emergency spill way, which is down from what it was..

Hoping to prevent full failure.

originally posted by: Reverbs

originally posted by: jappee


ALSO live press conference has started..

but very hard to follow feed in and out.

damage not increasing as fast as they thought it would.

garble garble..

2 inches coming over emergency spill way, which is down from what it was..

Hoping to prevent full failure.

I gathered that the recent increased flow from the main spillway has relieved the level of water over the failing emergency spillway. It seems they are trying to mitigate the situation.

a reply to: jappee

Thanks stosh64 for the live stream.

Your welcome, Thanks for the thread.

Prayers are with these people tonight. Scary enough in daylight, can't imagine fearing a wall of water like this in the dark

originally posted by: jappee


I gathered that the recent increased flow from the main spillway has relieved the level of water over the failing emergency spillway. It seems they are trying to mitigate the situation.

yes.

It sounds like it's working.

Hoping