“Officials Order Evacuation For Residents Below Calif. Dam”

At least 188,000 people remain under evacuation orders after Northern California authorities warned an emergency spillway in the country's tallest dam was in danger of failing Sunday and unleashing uncontrolled flood waters on towns below. The Oroville Dam, which is the nation's tallest, remains intact. But the emergency spillway, which helps to ensure that the water does not rush over the top of the dam when the levels are high, was eroding Sunday. The damage prompted a mandatory evacuation for homes near Lake Oroville. Those orders remain in effect authorities do not know when they would be lifted. This winter, heavy rainfall in Northern California has filled Lake Oroville to the verge of overflow. This has triggered concerns over whether the water could overflow the dam and flood nearby communities. The dam has two spillways -- the primary and the emergency spillway -- to prevent that from happening. These are channels to leak water out of the lake. And right now, both have major structural problems. At Oroville Dam, the emergency spillway is only used if water levels reach 901 feet in elevation. It hasn't needed to be used in its 48-year history -- until this weekend.

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