Tweet
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.
“I’ve been in close contact with emergency personnel managing the situation in Oroville throughout the weekend, and it’s clear the circumstances are complex and rapidly changing,” Brown said. “I want to thank local and state law enforcement for leading evacuation efforts and doing their part to keep residents safe. The state is directing all necessary personnel and resources to deal with this very serious situation.”
State emergency services officials are planning an 11 p.m. press conference to discuss their efforts.
No word on when evacuations may be lifted
Despite officials saying the immediate threat from Oroville Dam’s damaged spillway has passed, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said no decision has been made on when people will be allowed back into their homes.
Because of the uncertainty about the condition of the spillways, Honea said he is not prepared to risk public safety.
“I’m not going to lift the evacuation order until I have a better idea of what that means and what risk that poses,” Honea said.
Authorities say no looting concerns as 188,000 evacuated
Evacuation totals estimated at 188,000 as authorities say no concerns about looting
Authorities said late Sunday that they had issued evacuation warnings to 188,000 people because of concerns over damage to spillways at the Oroville Dam, but said there were no concerns about looting or problems associated with the move.
Law enforcement throughout the region were on scene in Oroville and other affected communities, but Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said there has been no looting or other crime problems.
“Anytime you take on a situation like this where you seek to evacuate thousands of people on very short notice, it can be a chaotic situation,” Honea said. “We understand that.”
Evacuation centers have opened throughout the area, and Honea said most hotels in Chico were full Sunday night.
Speaking at a 10 p.m. press conference, officials said water had stopped flowing over the emergency spillway and that the release of 100,000 cubic feet of water per second from the main spillway had helped drop the lake level.
“The goal is to get it to drop 50 feet,” said Kevin Lawson, a Cal Fire chief. “If we can continue to do that that’s great, that brings a little bit of calm to what we are trying to accomplish here.”
Bill Croyle, acting director of the state Department of Water Resources, said the fact that the lake had been lowered below the lip of the spillway would allow for inspection of the area, and he praised the decision to order evacuations.
“It was a tough call to make, it was the right call to make to protect the public,” Croyle said.
Water flow over spillway stopped
State officials say the water spilling over the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway has stopped as the lake level dropped low enough.
At 8:45 p.m. the lake level fell below the lip of the auxiliary spillway for the first time since Saturday and “the flowing has stopped,”said Department of Water Resources spokesman Doug Carlson.
Boulders dropped in effort to shore up spillway
At 9 p.m. a state water official said the concrete lip of the emergency spillway was still holding.
“The erosion has slowed, and I think we’re going to be OK,” said state Department of Water Resources spokesman Chris Orrock.
Orrock said efforts Sunday night to shore up the damage included the use of six helicopters that were dropping containers of boulders onto the damaged hillside.
Flows over emergency spillway dry up
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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Water coming over the top of the emergency spillway is likely the main factor in its erosion, Department of Water Resources spokesman Chris Orrock said Sunday night.
Now, officials should be able to start assessing damage to the emergency spillway as it begins to dry. “They are going to dry out the emergency spillway area,” Countryman said. “They are going to start the repair work.”
This does not mean that the risk of catastrophic flooding has passed. Officials released water so quickly over the damaged main spillway that they may have further threatened its integrity, Countryman said.
A large section of concrete at the bottom of the spillway had already collapsed by Sunday, the initial cause of the emergency. As more of the main spillway collapses, it could threaten the spillway’s gates and force officials to stop releasing water into the main spillway, Countryman said. That would likely be catastrophic.
Orrock said Sunday night he did not know how much further damage was done to the main spillway by releasing water so quickly.
“I’m sure it’s going to be severe,” he said.
The morning will reveal how well the damaged, main spillway will hold up under such powerful flows, and whether it can be relied upon to handle that level of water through the rest of the rainy season, said Jay Lund, a civil engineering professor at UC Davis.
“The success of this strategy should be evident tomorrow morning after dawn,” he said.
Sunday night gridlock as Marysville residents evacuate
The frantic effort to evacuate Marysville had ground to a halt at B and 12th streets, the eastbound route to the Yuba foothills. By 8 p.m., hours after the first evacuation orders, a long ribbon of cars and trucks remained marooned at the hard right turn to higher ground.
Lisa and Francisco Esparza of Live Oak fled down Highway 99 to Yuba City, crossing the Feather River into Marysville. Now they were waiting in the long line for points east. Their stop, Grass Valley. They have no family there, they said, but no matter.
“We’re just going to get safe,” Lisa Esparza said.
For thousands in this area, battered in the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s by catastrophic flooding, they know this is no drill, motorists naming their destinations as if it were a local bus route: Browns Valley, Brownsville, Grass Valley.
“There’s a lot of gridlock through the city,” said Marysville Police Lt. Chris Sachs.
Still others were stranded for different reasons. Jennifer Neff of Marysville wandered through a Chevron parking lot, her gas light glowing, her phone on hold with roadside assistance.
Gas stations like this Chevron on B Street were closed, their pumps shut off, even for debit and credit cards.
“There’s nowhere to get gas,” Neff said. “I’ve called roadside assistance – I’m on hold with them now. Do we call the police?”
Later, a young boy ran to the pumps, getting the attention of a motorist.
“Is there gas?” he shouted.
“They’ve shut them down,” came her reply.
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.
“I’ve been in close contact with emergency personnel managing the situation in Oroville throughout the weekend, and it’s clear the circumstances are complex and rapidly changing,” Brown said. “I want to thank local and state law enforcement for leading evacuation efforts and doing their part to keep residents safe. The state is directing all necessary personnel and resources to deal with this very serious situation.”
State emergency services officials are planning an 11 p.m. press conference to discuss their efforts.
No word on when evacuations may be lifted
Despite officials saying the immediate threat from Oroville Dam’s damaged spillway has passed, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said no decision has been made on when people will be allowed back into their homes.
Because of the uncertainty about the condition of the spillways, Honea said he is not prepared to risk public safety.
“I’m not going to lift the evacuation order until I have a better idea of what that means and what risk that poses,” Honea said.
Authorities say no looting concerns as 188,000 evacuated
Evacuation totals estimated at 188,000 as authorities say no concerns about looting
Authorities said late Sunday that they had issued evacuation warnings to 188,000 people because of concerns over damage to spillways at the Oroville Dam, but said there were no concerns about looting or problems associated with the move.
Law enforcement throughout the region were on scene in Oroville and other affected communities, but Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said there has been no looting or other crime problems.
“Anytime you take on a situation like this where you seek to evacuate thousands of people on very short notice, it can be a chaotic situation,” Honea said. “We understand that.”
Evacuation centers have opened throughout the area, and Honea said most hotels in Chico were full Sunday night.
Speaking at a 10 p.m. press conference, officials said water had stopped flowing over the emergency spillway and that the release of 100,000 cubic feet of water per second from the main spillway had helped drop the lake level.
“The goal is to get it to drop 50 feet,” said Kevin Lawson, a Cal Fire chief. “If we can continue to do that that’s great, that brings a little bit of calm to what we are trying to accomplish here.”
Bill Croyle, acting director of the state Department of Water Resources, said the fact that the lake had been lowered below the lip of the spillway would allow for inspection of the area, and he praised the decision to order evacuations.
“It was a tough call to make, it was the right call to make to protect the public,” Croyle said.
Water flow over spillway stopped
State officials say the water spilling over the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway has stopped as the lake level dropped low enough.
At 8:45 p.m. the lake level fell below the lip of the auxiliary spillway for the first time since Saturday and “the flowing has stopped,”said Department of Water Resources spokesman Doug Carlson.
Boulders dropped in effort to shore up spillway
At 9 p.m. a state water official said the concrete lip of the emergency spillway was still holding.
“The erosion has slowed, and I think we’re going to be OK,” said state Department of Water Resources spokesman Chris Orrock.
Orrock said efforts Sunday night to shore up the damage included the use of six helicopters that were dropping containers of boulders onto the damaged hillside.
Flows over emergency spillway dry up
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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Water coming over the top of the emergency spillway is likely the main factor in its erosion, Department of Water Resources spokesman Chris Orrock said Sunday night.
Now, officials should be able to start assessing damage to the emergency spillway as it begins to dry. “They are going to dry out the emergency spillway area,” Countryman said. “They are going to start the repair work.”
This does not mean that the risk of catastrophic flooding has passed. Officials released water so quickly over the damaged main spillway that they may have further threatened its integrity, Countryman said.
A large section of concrete at the bottom of the spillway had already collapsed by Sunday, the initial cause of the emergency. As more of the main spillway collapses, it could threaten the spillway’s gates and force officials to stop releasing water into the main spillway, Countryman said. That would likely be catastrophic.
Orrock said Sunday night he did not know how much further damage was done to the main spillway by releasing water so quickly.
“I’m sure it’s going to be severe,” he said.
The morning will reveal how well the damaged, main spillway will hold up under such powerful flows, and whether it can be relied upon to handle that level of water through the rest of the rainy season, said Jay Lund, a civil engineering professor at UC Davis.
“The success of this strategy should be evident tomorrow morning after dawn,” he said.
Sunday night gridlock as Marysville residents evacuate
The frantic effort to evacuate Marysville had ground to a halt at B and 12th streets, the eastbound route to the Yuba foothills. By 8 p.m., hours after the first evacuation orders, a long ribbon of cars and trucks remained marooned at the hard right turn to higher ground.
Lisa and Francisco Esparza of Live Oak fled down Highway 99 to Yuba City, crossing the Feather River into Marysville. Now they were waiting in the long line for points east. Their stop, Grass Valley. They have no family there, they said, but no matter.
“We’re just going to get safe,” Lisa Esparza said.
For thousands in this area, battered in the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s by catastrophic flooding, they know this is no drill, motorists naming their destinations as if it were a local bus route: Browns Valley, Brownsville, Grass Valley.
“There’s a lot of gridlock through the city,” said Marysville Police Lt. Chris Sachs.
Still others were stranded for different reasons. Jennifer Neff of Marysville wandered through a Chevron parking lot, her gas light glowing, her phone on hold with roadside assistance.
Gas stations like this Chevron on B Street were closed, their pumps shut off, even for debit and credit cards.
“There’s nowhere to get gas,” Neff said. “I’ve called roadside assistance – I’m on hold with them now. Do we call the police?”
Later, a young boy ran to the pumps, getting the attention of a motorist.
“Is there gas?” he shouted.
“They’ve shut them down,” came her reply.
Comment