Emergency: California’s Oroville Dam Spillway Near Failure, Evacuations Ordered

Breitbart ^ | Feb 12, 2017 | Joel B. Pollak1

[janetjanet998]

The California Department of Water Resources issued a sudden evacuation order shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday for residents near the Oroville Dam in northern California, warning that the dam’s emergency spillway would fail in the next 60 minutes.

The Oroville Dam is the highest in the nation.

[tomkat]

Excellent link/info .. thanks !

[Toirdhealbheach Beucail]

I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I have to wonder why they let it get within a short period of failure and have to call for evacuations and only then decide to open the main spillway more.

The repercussions of this throughout the lives of those impacted will never quite subside. At best it seems incredibly thoughtless, at worst a dereliction of duty on someone’s part.

[txhurl]

Exactly. But why did they place *themselves* behind this 8-ball?

[tomkat]

Last I heard was that outflow was reduced earlier in the week due to the water causing some erosion issues with power towers downstream of the spillway.

They've apparently been forced to say to hell with the power towers.

[Toirdhealbheach Beucail]

That make sense. Still, it seems like cutting things awfully close -after all, I suspect without opening the gates further the level was not going to go down of its own volition.

[Drago]

An “oops” or bad math skills? Or ??

[maggief]

Yesterday linemen were helicoptered in cutting power lines.

Dramatic.

[tomkat]

With a bunch of rain headed that way in the next couple of days, this thing ain't over by a long shot.

Gotta feel for the folks in the evac that won't have money for a week or more in a hotel, etc.

[PA Engineer]

Adapt2030 covered it well. I’m waiting for his followup. Knew this was coming.

[hoosiermama]

Are there areas without power?

[mewzilla]

Thanks for the ping! Catching up now. Guess the writing was on the wall when that NOTAM was issued...

[Toirdhealbheach Beucail]

That would be. Nothing but respect for those that do it. And under more than the usual stressful circumstances, I am sure.

[txhurl]

Putting a halt to ‘investment’ in the floodplain via condemnation? Global warning tie-in? Or can they just be that incompetent?

[PA Engineer]

Yesterday linemen were helicoptered in cutting power lines.

I was concerned when I saw you filming near the towers. Each side is an "Anchor" tower. When one goes, they can domino to an Angle or Anchor. Just a consideration if you do this again. Great vids.

[tomkat]

I've always thought those high volt guys had some brass ones .. add the aerial aspect = *big respect*.

There are some towers nearby out here in the country that a chopper does inspections/maintenance on a couple times a year and I always go out to watch 'em.

[snarkpup]

The lake level gage is now at 901.02. The level of the emergency spillway is said to be 901.

[ArmstedFragg]

The level was dropping slowly all day, the need to get it DOWN!! NOW!! showed up around 4pm when the erosion in the emergency spillway was discovered. At the moment, it’s just reached the point where the flow down the emergency spillway has stopped.

[maggief]

The power plant is under water and shut down due to flooding ... serious backwater.

Power lines were cut. ARF streamer videoed dramatic footage of lineman cutting lines.

[maggief]

Not me filming.

[Ray76]