Breaking news out of California where evacuations of low-lying areas downstream from the Oroville Dam have been ordered after fears of a possible collapse of the structure’s emergency spillway:
EVACUATION ORDER. Use of the auxiliary spillway has lead to severe erosion that could lead to a failure of the structure. @CALFIRE_ButteCo
— CA – DWR (@CA_DWR) February 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/SacFirePIO/status/830945246821232640
Whoa. It's rare to see a govt agency use this language. Immediate evacuations near Oroville dam. pic.twitter.com/nu3cL7X09z
— Seema (@LATSeema) February 13, 2017
Update. Watch live:
A hole developed on the dam’s main spillway forcing engineers to use the emergency spillway for the first time in the dam’s 50-year history:
Water flows over emergency spillway at Oroville Dam for first time in reservoir's nearly 50-year history https://t.co/4wwJqqxi8A pic.twitter.com/Y9nShM8JTG
— ABC News (@ABC) February 12, 2017
Evacuation Notice Issued Due to Hazardous Situation With Oroville Dam Emergency Spillway https://t.co/muzGLm1eYB
— CBS Sacramento CBS13 (@CBSSacramento) February 13, 2017
Here’s what the dam looked like Saturday morning:
Here is the emergency overflow of #LakeOroville at 830am. pic.twitter.com/8M0GWzcAIk
— Tehama Co. Spotter (@tehamacospotter) February 11, 2017
We’ll update this post as soon as we learn more.
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Update 1: This is important to note — the dam itself is not at risk:
Going to share about what's going on with #OrovilleDam — this pic is key showing dam, spillway & emergency spillway https://t.co/xqCEQWBRmI pic.twitter.com/1VpcpWZ08P
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) February 13, 2017
Even with both #OrovilleDam spillways eroding, neither part of main dam structure & still take pressure off that topping over.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) February 13, 2017
Update 2. Traffic jams reported on the roads along with long lines at gas stations:
STUNNING images out of #Oroville, CA, as a dam spillway is in imminent danger of collapse. Thousands under evacuation order. pic.twitter.com/5uIoHyO6dm
— Joe Holden (@JoeHoldenCBS3) February 13, 2017
Huge lines at gas station in Plumas Lake as people flee low-lying areas. Tempers getting frayed. pic.twitter.com/46T3iCJcd5
— Mike Luery (@KCRALuery) February 13, 2017
Update 3. Some potential good news:
#BREAKING: State officials tell us they believe they have situation contained at #OrovilleDam #OrovilleSpillway. Evacs still in effect@NBCLA
— Adrian Arambulo (@AdrianNBCLA) February 13, 2017
.@CA_DWR update on #OrovilleSpillway pic.twitter.com/xzGp6xxyR6
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) February 13, 2017
UPDATE from @ButteSheriff: @CA_DWR said erosion that caused concern is not advancing as rapidly as they thought. "A very good thing." @ABC10
— Frances Wang (@FrancesWangTV) February 13, 2017
Update 4. Livestream from the California Office of Emergency Services:
Wow. Talk about govt transparency. @Cal_OES is streaming the ops center live #OrovilleDam (h/t @WCraigFugate) https://t.co/mCh9Bvun1i
— Moira Whelan… (@moira) February 13, 2017
Update 5 — Monday Feb. 13:
Water has stopped spilling over #OrovilleDam emergency spillway https://t.co/75LqV9i61n #OrovilleSpillway pic.twitter.com/nClnWlwfLN
— The Sacramento Bee (@sacbee_news) February 13, 2017
Nearly 200,000 people ordered to evacuate near Northern California’s Lake Oroville amid fears of a severe flooding https://t.co/8WovshA7RS
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 13, 2017
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