Tedd Thompson

I don't know if the National news is running all of this but the Orville dam is in big trouble tonight and in danger of failing. This is the tallest dam in the US and if there is a major failure everything from Chico two hundred miles south to the bay area will flood. I have nothing to worry about where I live but many of my friends are evacuating as I type this and are having trouble getting to high ground because of bumper to bumper traffic.Hang on this could be bad one.... Tedd

2blu442

Wow, is this the one that had the spillway failing?

2blu442

I just googled it and NBC is running a story on it.

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/evacuat...e-875775043662

steverw

Wow they had said the dam was ok and only the spillway was damaged. Thats gonna be bad news if it lets go!

2blu442

Here's a link to another story. more than just video. Yes, this could be very bad if there's a catastrophic failure before people can get out of the way.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/off...a81?li=BBnb7Kz

Tedd Thompson

There was a huge hunk of the main spillway that broke out sometime last week and that caused the powers to be to lower the water release which intern caused the water to rise and flow over the emergency spillway. Unfortunately the emergency spillway(which had never been used) failed in about one day.The high water pressure caused the emergency spillway to erode and cut back into the dam face. Kinda dammed if you do and dammed if you don't release water. To top this off there is another big storm expected on Wednesday.Time will tell if this turns out good or bad.... Tedd

Koda

These are the sort of situations why you never argue about the costs of multiple backups. I hope the thing holds.

76olds

I hope everyone can get out of harms way in time and have something to return home to.
Good to hear you will be safe Tedd.
Maybe you will have a few friends stay until its safe to return.

Eric

Olds64

I saw headlines on this. I hope everyone is able to evacuate safely.

Tedd Thompson

I just talked to one of my car buds who lives about a mile from the dam.His home is maybe slightly higher than than dam level and so far he is sticking it out. Many left with only 5 minutes of warning and no telling when they can go home. Some left their large animals still in their pens, we can only hope some people or some one will be allowed to tend to stock if this doesn't get resolved soon.

The news ran all night here with with up dates every 15 minutes or so and so far they have slowed the flow over the emergency spillway but the main spillway is flowing faster than ever. I saw a picture of the main spillway when the water was shut off altogether and you could put a house in the hole that had eroded away, must be twice that size now.

The big concern is the storm that is expected to hit sometime on Wednesday and there will be no way to control the flow. Even if the dam holds up the levies south of here won't be able to take the strain, everything is already beyond maximum capacity. I don't feel this will end well..... Tedd

LondonCutlass

Hey guys I feel for you. It must be really bad, it's even on the news over here in the U.K.
Crossing my fingers it works out ok for everybody.

droldsmorland

I was out there in 85-86 at Beale when it flooded and breached the levees, that was just rain, not a Dam failure. If that Dam goes everything downstream on the Feather is doomed. Let's pray that doesn't happen.

Gary M

Hope everyone gets out safe. They are in my prayers.

jensenracing77

I have been following this off and on all day. I sure hope and pray everything holds together and the next storm fizzles out.