Unprecedented Rainfall and Major Flooding Around the World
- Thread starter Third_Density_Resident
- Start date
Actually, the article bringing this weather forecast, doesn't say anything about Ice Age, just that there's probably gonna be more snow this year than previous years and that it could come as early as early November. And that in October there could be even longer periods of sunny weather.
It also says that likewise, more snow and harsher winters, should also be expected in years to some.
Of course, the reason they give for this is the global warming, not explicitly, but they continue with their propaganda in more subtle, implicit way:
Maybe Pierre's book would help them to sort out few thing here and there. :)
Anyway, I think this is third time this calendar year that Croatia is fighting some severe flooding, every 3 months or so... But unfortunately, it doesn't look like people are paying too much attention to what's really going on, and if they by some chance try, articles like this one immediately plant the "lie propaganda" back in their minds.
Had a little discussion last week about this topic at job, and found out that, depending on the type of it (dry, wet, ...), snow can exceed the rain precipitation in height by the factor of 10. Meaning that in northern areas of Croatia, where it poured 160 L/m2 of rain in three days at the end of the last week, it would mean more than 1.5m of snow in the same time period. :O
Of course, that's purely approximative calculation.
It also says that likewise, more snow and harsher winters, should also be expected in years to some.
Of course, the reason they give for this is the global warming, not explicitly, but they continue with their propaganda in more subtle, implicit way:
_http://danas.net.hr/znanost/snijeg-je-moguc-vec-iduceg-mjeseca-a-najkasnije-pocetkom-studenog said:
Maybe Pierre's book would help them to sort out few thing here and there. :)
Anyway, I think this is third time this calendar year that Croatia is fighting some severe flooding, every 3 months or so... But unfortunately, it doesn't look like people are paying too much attention to what's really going on, and if they by some chance try, articles like this one immediately plant the "lie propaganda" back in their minds.
Laura said:
Had a little discussion last week about this topic at job, and found out that, depending on the type of it (dry, wet, ...), snow can exceed the rain precipitation in height by the factor of 10. Meaning that in northern areas of Croatia, where it poured 160 L/m2 of rain in three days at the end of the last week, it would mean more than 1.5m of snow in the same time period. :O
Of course, that's purely approximative calculation.
And just for the sake of discussion. let's remember 2012 record breaking snowfall in Zagreb, over 60cm in less then 48h and city was on the edge of total collapse. With over 1m of snow it would bring the whole city to a grinding halt! I've read yesterday's interview with one of the famous Croatian weatherman Zoran Vakula, about his forecast going bad about last Summer and what to expect in upcoming Winter. His interesting remark was how weather patterns, globally, have dramatically changed from last Winter. So it's clear that mainstream experts do indeed see something big is happening with weather, but their willful blindness is still stronger then accepting the truth and that's why it would cost us dearly.
Eridan
The Force is Strong With This One
Thanks Laura. I've been thinking about the same thing. The rain has been falling steadily, if instead of rain falling snow, it would be much worse. More and more scientists predicted an ice age, not in the distant future, but this year or next. Let's wait and see. :)
Hatay is close to the Syrian border. The following slides and videos show the floods and destruction after a tornado. Apparently the tornado started as a waterspout then moved onto land. 1 injured.
_http://www.milligazete.com.tr/glry/?id=2238&iid=42610
_http://www.iha.com.tr/video-hatayda-hortum-dehseti-43087/
_http://www.trtturk.com/haber/hatay-da-cikan-hortum-seralari-yikti-100437.html
_http://www.sabah.com.tr/yasam/2015/01/02/hatayda-hortum
_http://www.milligazete.com.tr/glry/?id=2238&iid=42610
_http://www.iha.com.tr/video-hatayda-hortum-dehseti-43087/
_http://www.trtturk.com/haber/hatay-da-cikan-hortum-seralari-yikti-100437.html
_http://www.sabah.com.tr/yasam/2015/01/02/hatayda-hortum
I was looking for a general thread about floods; a place to report the latest flood without having to flood the board with one more flood. I decided to post here, as this thread is only named "Floods", only one so far, but after one more it becomes "floods":
In Russia in an area along the river Ob near Novosibirsk, they experience the worst flood since 1969. http://russian.rt.com/article/90933 On the web page [in Russian] there is an instagram video that one can watch. Apparently it is a dam from which they have to empty maximum amounts of water because the water has build up behind the dam. About 4000 plots are affected, and the water is expected to come down by May 17th.
In Russia in an area along the river Ob near Novosibirsk, they experience the worst flood since 1969. http://russian.rt.com/article/90933 On the web page [in Russian] there is an instagram video that one can watch. Apparently it is a dam from which they have to empty maximum amounts of water because the water has build up behind the dam. About 4000 plots are affected, and the water is expected to come down by May 17th.
Shared Joy
Jedi Council Member
Hi,
there is a local popular belief that when rains on the 8th of June, a 40 day long rainy period will follow. Well, the local forecast indicate rain on the 8th of June and the following days. So maybe we shall have an opportunity to check it out.
It's rather cold here for this period.
Hope you are doing well, be safe!
Joy
there is a local popular belief that when rains on the 8th of June, a 40 day long rainy period will follow. Well, the local forecast indicate rain on the 8th of June and the following days. So maybe we shall have an opportunity to check it out.
It's rather cold here for this period.
Hope you are doing well, be safe!
Joy
angelburst29
The Living Force
MONTELLO, Nevada — A broken dam in Elko County, Nevada, flooded farmland and homes in the community of Montello, stopped Union Pacific trains nearby and prompted a warning to people in extreme northwest Utah to avoid the rural highway into the Silver State.
Broken dam in northeast Nevada flooding homes, farms and railroads (Photos - Video)
https://www.ksl.com/?sid=43126767&nid=148
Feb 8th, 2017 -And while Utah has recently experienced a quick warm-up after heavy snows, state water officials think a similar breach is unlikely in the Beehive State.
The National Weather Service reported Wednesday the failure of the 21 Mile Dam was sending water spilling out in a "dangerous and life-threatening situation."
"Water in the reservoir continues to rapidly empty and is heading downstream. Ongoing flash flooding will continue and could potentially get worse," the National Weather Service advised. A flash flood warning for Elko County has been issued through midnight Thursday.
As the water flows into the Dake Reservoir, there is a risk the dam there could overflow leading to more flooding, according to the warning.
Union Pacific rail traffic in the area has also come to a halt, Justin Jacobs, a Union Pacific spokesman for the area, confirmed.
Trains headed toward the flood-affected area have been stopped and face indeterminate delays, Jacobs said, while Union Pacific is assessing options to re-route trains that are further out.
It was unclear whether freight or commuter trains, or both, were being impacted, Jacobs said. And until the water stops flowing, Union Pacific will be unable to inspect the tracks and see just how much damage has been done.
Fast-flowing water through the streets of Montello, an unincorporated community in Elko County in northeast Nevada, had emergency crews responding to set up sand bags around homes and businesses. Footage captured by KSL-TV's Chopper 5 shows wide breaks in the earthen dam, water rushing along rail routes and trains stopped on the tracks.
Kevin Hall, a captain with the East Elko Fire Protection District, said the flooding and the breach are due to heavy runoff and snowmelt. Earlier in the day responders were dealing with just a few inches of water, but since the dam failed it has risen to a few feet in depth, he said.
"We've got about 3-foot trenches down in the front of the businesses now that it's washing out along the pavement," Hall said. "We've got a fuel station, a gas station here, and we're trying to protect the pumps from fuel contamination into the water, which causes big problems."
Hall said areas of Nevada's state Route 233 are also at risk of washing out and warned drivers out of Box Elder County to stay away.
"Do not travel it, it's getting dangerous," Hall warned.
Broken dam in northeast Nevada flooding homes, farms and railroads (Photos - Video)
https://www.ksl.com/?sid=43126767&nid=148
Feb 8th, 2017 -And while Utah has recently experienced a quick warm-up after heavy snows, state water officials think a similar breach is unlikely in the Beehive State.
The National Weather Service reported Wednesday the failure of the 21 Mile Dam was sending water spilling out in a "dangerous and life-threatening situation."
"Water in the reservoir continues to rapidly empty and is heading downstream. Ongoing flash flooding will continue and could potentially get worse," the National Weather Service advised. A flash flood warning for Elko County has been issued through midnight Thursday.
As the water flows into the Dake Reservoir, there is a risk the dam there could overflow leading to more flooding, according to the warning.
Union Pacific rail traffic in the area has also come to a halt, Justin Jacobs, a Union Pacific spokesman for the area, confirmed.
Trains headed toward the flood-affected area have been stopped and face indeterminate delays, Jacobs said, while Union Pacific is assessing options to re-route trains that are further out.
It was unclear whether freight or commuter trains, or both, were being impacted, Jacobs said. And until the water stops flowing, Union Pacific will be unable to inspect the tracks and see just how much damage has been done.
Fast-flowing water through the streets of Montello, an unincorporated community in Elko County in northeast Nevada, had emergency crews responding to set up sand bags around homes and businesses. Footage captured by KSL-TV's Chopper 5 shows wide breaks in the earthen dam, water rushing along rail routes and trains stopped on the tracks.
Kevin Hall, a captain with the East Elko Fire Protection District, said the flooding and the breach are due to heavy runoff and snowmelt. Earlier in the day responders were dealing with just a few inches of water, but since the dam failed it has risen to a few feet in depth, he said.
"We've got about 3-foot trenches down in the front of the businesses now that it's washing out along the pavement," Hall said. "We've got a fuel station, a gas station here, and we're trying to protect the pumps from fuel contamination into the water, which causes big problems."
Hall said areas of Nevada's state Route 233 are also at risk of washing out and warned drivers out of Box Elder County to stay away.
"Do not travel it, it's getting dangerous," Hall warned.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Re: Dam failure and flooding
Damage to California's Oroville Dam concrete spillway this week has forced state engineers to consider alternatives to release water as new storms come into the Northern California region.
Frantic efforts to assess damage at major California dam as new storm system arrives (Video)
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/09/concrete-erosion-at-major-california-dam-spillway-as-new-storm-system-arrives.html
Thursday, 9 Feb 2017 - The damage also raises questions about the state's aging infrastructure at a time when President Donald Trump is talking about increasing U.S. spending on infrastructure. Oroville Dam, completed in the late 1960s, is California's second-largest reservoir.
The lower half of the spillway has concrete erosion, creating a gaping hole in a structure that is used for controlled releases of water. The reservoir's water levels were almost full on Thursday and the state was determining how it would do new water releases.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, a state official said there was no cost estimate for repair work.
The erosion was discovered Tuesday and initially raised safety fears for residents in Oroville that it could present a larger problem for the dam. However, officials from the state's Department of Water Resources insisted this week there's "no imminent threat" to public safety and said they are looking into "ways to bolster and protect the spillway."
Federal dam inspection officials were onsite Thursday and participating in the damage assessment. Officials were using drones to monitor the situation but stressed that the damage was not to the dam itself.
"The spillway is necessary to maintain reservoir operations, given the immediate forecast of continued rain for the next two days and also in preparation for the remaining runoff season," the DWR said Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service, the Oroville area — about 70 miles north of Sacramento — is forecast to get 2 to 4 inches of rainfall in the next 48 hours. The same storm system is bringing precipitation to other parts of Northern California.
The spillway damage follows a series of storms to hit Northern California, producing rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Oroville Dam is located in the foothills of the western Sierras.
Engineers conducted two test runs with water flows on Wednesday, checking to see if the spillway can handle the strength of about 20,000 cubic feet per second of water.
As of Wednesday, the crater in the spillway was estimated to be a 200-foot-long strip. Officials said Thursday the cavity and erosion had grown substantially after the test releases.
"We're trying to determine if the spillway is not usable do we need to use an emergency spillway," Maggie Macias, a spokesperson for the DWR, said Thursday. She said using the Oroville emergency spillway would be the state's "last option but not our favorable option because it's a hillside and not a concrete structure."
The emergency spillway has never been used before.
Oroville has a capacity of 3.5 million acre-feet of water at around the 900-feet elevation.
Damage to California's Oroville Dam concrete spillway this week has forced state engineers to consider alternatives to release water as new storms come into the Northern California region.
Frantic efforts to assess damage at major California dam as new storm system arrives (Video)
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/09/concrete-erosion-at-major-california-dam-spillway-as-new-storm-system-arrives.html
Thursday, 9 Feb 2017 - The damage also raises questions about the state's aging infrastructure at a time when President Donald Trump is talking about increasing U.S. spending on infrastructure. Oroville Dam, completed in the late 1960s, is California's second-largest reservoir.
The lower half of the spillway has concrete erosion, creating a gaping hole in a structure that is used for controlled releases of water. The reservoir's water levels were almost full on Thursday and the state was determining how it would do new water releases.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, a state official said there was no cost estimate for repair work.
The erosion was discovered Tuesday and initially raised safety fears for residents in Oroville that it could present a larger problem for the dam. However, officials from the state's Department of Water Resources insisted this week there's "no imminent threat" to public safety and said they are looking into "ways to bolster and protect the spillway."
Federal dam inspection officials were onsite Thursday and participating in the damage assessment. Officials were using drones to monitor the situation but stressed that the damage was not to the dam itself.
"The spillway is necessary to maintain reservoir operations, given the immediate forecast of continued rain for the next two days and also in preparation for the remaining runoff season," the DWR said Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service, the Oroville area — about 70 miles north of Sacramento — is forecast to get 2 to 4 inches of rainfall in the next 48 hours. The same storm system is bringing precipitation to other parts of Northern California.
The spillway damage follows a series of storms to hit Northern California, producing rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Oroville Dam is located in the foothills of the western Sierras.
Engineers conducted two test runs with water flows on Wednesday, checking to see if the spillway can handle the strength of about 20,000 cubic feet per second of water.
As of Wednesday, the crater in the spillway was estimated to be a 200-foot-long strip. Officials said Thursday the cavity and erosion had grown substantially after the test releases.
"We're trying to determine if the spillway is not usable do we need to use an emergency spillway," Maggie Macias, a spokesperson for the DWR, said Thursday. She said using the Oroville emergency spillway would be the state's "last option but not our favorable option because it's a hillside and not a concrete structure."
The emergency spillway has never been used before.
Oroville has a capacity of 3.5 million acre-feet of water at around the 900-feet elevation.
Shared Joy
Jedi Council Member
Oroville dam California- critical condition
After so much water accumulated, but with previsions all pointed to dryness - nobody seems to cared to attend to safety issues in case of flooding - the structural damage is inevitable - . Yet, denial goes on: maybe this is why preppers and preparation were ridiculed or impeached. The PTB has no answers, nor plans, no concern.
_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQxVmKnBgvc
After so much water accumulated, but with previsions all pointed to dryness - nobody seems to cared to attend to safety issues in case of flooding - the structural damage is inevitable - . Yet, denial goes on: maybe this is why preppers and preparation were ridiculed or impeached. The PTB has no answers, nor plans, no concern.
_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQxVmKnBgvc
angelburst29
The Living Force
Re: Oroville dam California- critical condition
Thanks for the video, Shared Joy. Their denial has now turned into a life threating emergency.
The city of Oroville and all of Yuba County in California have been ordered to evacuate as the Oroville dam's emergency spillway is predicted to fail imminently.
Evacuation Ordered as California's Oroville Dam Emergency Spillway to Fail (Tweets & Video)
https://sputniknews.com/us/201702131050608696-california-dam-breaking/
The combined population of the areas under evacuation would appear to reach nearly 100,000 people. The California Department of Water Resources is ordering residents to evacuate northward.
Social media accounts report traffic jams as people try to get out of harm's way.
On Tuesday, a huge hole formed in the spillway of the dam, which officials fear will grow until it hits bedrock. The dam's emergency spillway was then put into use, but severe erosion meant that officials are not sure it will be able to hold. Though officials described the situation as stable as recently as this morning, they are now urging residents in low-lying areas to leave, BNO News reports.
The dam is the nation's tallest, and California's second largest reservoir.
Officials had been expecting a problem for days, but had hoped to avoid using the emergency spillway, the Chicago Tribune reported yesterday. This is the first time in the dam's nearly 50-year history that the emergency spillway has been used.
Water began flowing over the emergency spillway — basically a route quickly cleared of brush to allow water to be released in a somewhat controlled fashion — for the first time in the dam's history on Saturday. The fear is that erosion in the emergency spillway could cause an uncontrolled flow of water.
Evacuation ordered for Oroville as dam spillway expected to fail (Photos - Video)
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Lake-Oroville-discharging-water-over-dam-s-10926950.php
“There has been severe erosion of the emergency spillway and a possible structural breach that could send uncontrolled water down the stream,” said Chris Orrock, a spokesman with the California Department of Water Resources.
Residents downstream from Lake Oroville to the Sutter County line were under mandatory evacuation order. Counties around the reservoir, the second largest in the state, down to Sacramento were warned about the possibility of flooding.
Department of Water Resources officials issued a statement just before 4:45 p.m. that the “auxiliary spillway at the dam was predicted to fail within the hour.”
Officials increased water releases out of the primary spillway to 100,000 cubic feet per second to relieve pressure on the emergency spillway.
An evacuation shelter was set up at the Silver Dollar Fairground in Chico at 2357 Fair St.
Traffic was bumper to bumper as residents of Oroville, Biggs and Gridley headed slowly out of the possible flood zone eastbound on Highway 162.
“This is very serious,” said Scott McClean, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection who was in the evacuation traffic. “From what I understand it’s the auxiliary spillway at a point of possible collapse. I’m just trying to get through traffic.”
The amount of water gushing over Lake Oroville’s emergency spillway had begun to decrease before the emergency Sunday as state officials pushed ahead with urgent measures to make room in the state’s second-largest reservoir.
The emergency spillway — an open hillside that drains to the Feather River below — had never been used since the Oroville Dam was completed in 1968. The discharge that began early Saturday raised concerns over how the backup channel would hold up, and whether debris would threaten fish and levees downstream.
The primary concrete spillway just south of the overflow area, meanwhile, was thought to have stabilized after a gigantic hole emerged in its 3,000-foot-long channel last week. The gash forced operators to reduce the outflow, which set the stage for this weekend’s unprecedented situation.
Another wet-weather system, in what has been a soaking winter, is on deck to hit Northern California on Wednesday, requiring water managers to make still more room in Lake Oroville for another surge.
The series of Pacific storms is expected to bring up to 4 inches of rain to parts of the Central Valley, said Idamis Del Valle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office.
“We need to do everything we can to maximize our ability to move water our of this reservoir — not just for the coming storm but for the coming storms,” said Bill Croyle, acting director of department of water resources. “Our planning is both short term and long term.”
Teams were dredging an area composed of silt, rock and hunks of concrete debris that has formed under the primary spillway following recent erosion.
The blockage forced water in the diversion pool to back up toward the dam and has threatened the Edward Hyatt Power plant at the base of the concrete behemoth.
The power station, which was closed late Friday due to the threat, serves as a third release point for the reservoir when it is operational. The facility expels up to 14,000 cubic feet of water per second downriver.
Officials had stressed earlier Sunday that the structural integrity of the 770-foot Oroville Dam — the tallest in the country — had not been compromised by the damaged spillway.
Once the dredging is completed, crews must rewire overhead power lines that were taken out of service after support towers were threatened by erosion.
Operators first detected the hole in the primary spillway Tuesday. Subsequent releases down the slide made the hole grow dramatically, exposing bedrock even beyond the 180-foot-wide channel.
Officials stabilized the hole and stopped further erosion by slowing the outflow to 55,000 cubic feet per second. But 90,000 cubic feet of water per second continued to dump into Lake Oroville and pushed the reservoir over capacity on Saturday.
“The problem is we don’t have that flexibility right now,” Croyle said. “Our bowl is full. So, what comes in comes out.”
By Sunday, the rate of inflow had fallen to 41,400 cubic feet of water per second, officials said.
The estimated cost of repairing the concrete spillway has soared to as much as $200 million, and officials are debating whether it can be patched when the rains end, or if a new chute will be needed altogether.
Under clear skies, many residents from nearby communities headed to Oroville on Sunday in hopes of seeing the raging Feather River or the damaged spillway. They parked and walked along streets overlooking the murky water, but public access to the spillways next to the dam was blocked.
The reservoir is the second largest in the state behind Lake Shasta and supplies water to Central Valley along with districts in the Bay Area and Southern California.
On Sunday, the cause of the hole in the main spillway was still being investigated. But experts noted repairs had been made to the spillway in 2013 near where the hole emerged.
Robert Bea, a U.C. Berkeley engineering professor, reviewed 2015 inspection reports that made note of the earlier repairs to the concrete slabs.
“From what I can tell from the photographs, it appears that the water pressures from the recent releases were great enough to cause failure of the repairs made to the base slabs,” he told The Chronicle.
Downstream from the dam at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville, officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had moved nearly all their salmon hatchlings into nearby holding ponds due to brown and silty water that threatened the fish.
Shared Joy said:
Thanks for the video, Shared Joy. Their denial has now turned into a life threating emergency.
The city of Oroville and all of Yuba County in California have been ordered to evacuate as the Oroville dam's emergency spillway is predicted to fail imminently.
Evacuation Ordered as California's Oroville Dam Emergency Spillway to Fail (Tweets & Video)
https://sputniknews.com/us/201702131050608696-california-dam-breaking/
The combined population of the areas under evacuation would appear to reach nearly 100,000 people. The California Department of Water Resources is ordering residents to evacuate northward.
Social media accounts report traffic jams as people try to get out of harm's way.
On Tuesday, a huge hole formed in the spillway of the dam, which officials fear will grow until it hits bedrock. The dam's emergency spillway was then put into use, but severe erosion meant that officials are not sure it will be able to hold. Though officials described the situation as stable as recently as this morning, they are now urging residents in low-lying areas to leave, BNO News reports.
The dam is the nation's tallest, and California's second largest reservoir.
Officials had been expecting a problem for days, but had hoped to avoid using the emergency spillway, the Chicago Tribune reported yesterday. This is the first time in the dam's nearly 50-year history that the emergency spillway has been used.
Water began flowing over the emergency spillway — basically a route quickly cleared of brush to allow water to be released in a somewhat controlled fashion — for the first time in the dam's history on Saturday. The fear is that erosion in the emergency spillway could cause an uncontrolled flow of water.
Evacuation ordered for Oroville as dam spillway expected to fail (Photos - Video)
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Lake-Oroville-discharging-water-over-dam-s-10926950.php
“There has been severe erosion of the emergency spillway and a possible structural breach that could send uncontrolled water down the stream,” said Chris Orrock, a spokesman with the California Department of Water Resources.
Residents downstream from Lake Oroville to the Sutter County line were under mandatory evacuation order. Counties around the reservoir, the second largest in the state, down to Sacramento were warned about the possibility of flooding.
Department of Water Resources officials issued a statement just before 4:45 p.m. that the “auxiliary spillway at the dam was predicted to fail within the hour.”
Officials increased water releases out of the primary spillway to 100,000 cubic feet per second to relieve pressure on the emergency spillway.
An evacuation shelter was set up at the Silver Dollar Fairground in Chico at 2357 Fair St.
Traffic was bumper to bumper as residents of Oroville, Biggs and Gridley headed slowly out of the possible flood zone eastbound on Highway 162.
“This is very serious,” said Scott McClean, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection who was in the evacuation traffic. “From what I understand it’s the auxiliary spillway at a point of possible collapse. I’m just trying to get through traffic.”
The amount of water gushing over Lake Oroville’s emergency spillway had begun to decrease before the emergency Sunday as state officials pushed ahead with urgent measures to make room in the state’s second-largest reservoir.
The emergency spillway — an open hillside that drains to the Feather River below — had never been used since the Oroville Dam was completed in 1968. The discharge that began early Saturday raised concerns over how the backup channel would hold up, and whether debris would threaten fish and levees downstream.
The primary concrete spillway just south of the overflow area, meanwhile, was thought to have stabilized after a gigantic hole emerged in its 3,000-foot-long channel last week. The gash forced operators to reduce the outflow, which set the stage for this weekend’s unprecedented situation.
Another wet-weather system, in what has been a soaking winter, is on deck to hit Northern California on Wednesday, requiring water managers to make still more room in Lake Oroville for another surge.
The series of Pacific storms is expected to bring up to 4 inches of rain to parts of the Central Valley, said Idamis Del Valle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office.
“We need to do everything we can to maximize our ability to move water our of this reservoir — not just for the coming storm but for the coming storms,” said Bill Croyle, acting director of department of water resources. “Our planning is both short term and long term.”
Teams were dredging an area composed of silt, rock and hunks of concrete debris that has formed under the primary spillway following recent erosion.
The blockage forced water in the diversion pool to back up toward the dam and has threatened the Edward Hyatt Power plant at the base of the concrete behemoth.
The power station, which was closed late Friday due to the threat, serves as a third release point for the reservoir when it is operational. The facility expels up to 14,000 cubic feet of water per second downriver.
Officials had stressed earlier Sunday that the structural integrity of the 770-foot Oroville Dam — the tallest in the country — had not been compromised by the damaged spillway.
Once the dredging is completed, crews must rewire overhead power lines that were taken out of service after support towers were threatened by erosion.
Operators first detected the hole in the primary spillway Tuesday. Subsequent releases down the slide made the hole grow dramatically, exposing bedrock even beyond the 180-foot-wide channel.
Officials stabilized the hole and stopped further erosion by slowing the outflow to 55,000 cubic feet per second. But 90,000 cubic feet of water per second continued to dump into Lake Oroville and pushed the reservoir over capacity on Saturday.
“The problem is we don’t have that flexibility right now,” Croyle said. “Our bowl is full. So, what comes in comes out.”
By Sunday, the rate of inflow had fallen to 41,400 cubic feet of water per second, officials said.
The estimated cost of repairing the concrete spillway has soared to as much as $200 million, and officials are debating whether it can be patched when the rains end, or if a new chute will be needed altogether.
Under clear skies, many residents from nearby communities headed to Oroville on Sunday in hopes of seeing the raging Feather River or the damaged spillway. They parked and walked along streets overlooking the murky water, but public access to the spillways next to the dam was blocked.
The reservoir is the second largest in the state behind Lake Shasta and supplies water to Central Valley along with districts in the Bay Area and Southern California.
On Sunday, the cause of the hole in the main spillway was still being investigated. But experts noted repairs had been made to the spillway in 2013 near where the hole emerged.
Robert Bea, a U.C. Berkeley engineering professor, reviewed 2015 inspection reports that made note of the earlier repairs to the concrete slabs.
“From what I can tell from the photographs, it appears that the water pressures from the recent releases were great enough to cause failure of the repairs made to the base slabs,” he told The Chronicle.
Downstream from the dam at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville, officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had moved nearly all their salmon hatchlings into nearby holding ponds due to brown and silty water that threatened the fish.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Re: Dam failure and flooding
Add this to the California flooding mess:
VIDEO: Highway 35 in Los Gatos shut down, roadway gone
http://kron4.com/2017/02/10/highway-35-in-los-gatos-shut-down-roadway-gone/
Highway 35 in Los Gatos is shut down, a portion of the roadway at Las Cumbres Road is gone.
Highway 35 has been completely washed away near mile marker 10.47 in Santa Cruz County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The ground gave-way Friday.
VIDEO: Highway 35 in Los Gatos remains closed after massive chunk of road breaks off
http://kron4.com/2017/02/11/video-highway-35-in-los-gatos-remains-closed-after-massive-chunk-of-road-breaks-off/
A massive chunk of Highway 35 in Los Gatos broke off on Friday.
The road remains closed but that hasn’t stopped looky-loos from making the trek to take a look.
Neighbors say they do not expect the area to reopen for months.
“Obviously, it’s going to be a major job,” neighbor Virginia Becker said.
Becker said she was in awe, shocked by the enormity of the gap.
“It’s very startling….it’s historic,” Becker said. “We’ve never seen breaks happen like this before.”
Neighbors, like Becker, living along Highway 35 in Los Gatos, also known as Skyline Boulevard, say this level of nature’s destruction was unimaginable before the road and its foundation collapsed on Friday.
The crater is at least 200-feet wide and several hundred feet deep. It is located down the street from Las Cumbres road.
Add this to the California flooding mess:
VIDEO: Highway 35 in Los Gatos shut down, roadway gone
http://kron4.com/2017/02/10/highway-35-in-los-gatos-shut-down-roadway-gone/
Highway 35 in Los Gatos is shut down, a portion of the roadway at Las Cumbres Road is gone.
Highway 35 has been completely washed away near mile marker 10.47 in Santa Cruz County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The ground gave-way Friday.
VIDEO: Highway 35 in Los Gatos remains closed after massive chunk of road breaks off
http://kron4.com/2017/02/11/video-highway-35-in-los-gatos-remains-closed-after-massive-chunk-of-road-breaks-off/
A massive chunk of Highway 35 in Los Gatos broke off on Friday.
The road remains closed but that hasn’t stopped looky-loos from making the trek to take a look.
Neighbors say they do not expect the area to reopen for months.
“Obviously, it’s going to be a major job,” neighbor Virginia Becker said.
Becker said she was in awe, shocked by the enormity of the gap.
“It’s very startling….it’s historic,” Becker said. “We’ve never seen breaks happen like this before.”
Neighbors, like Becker, living along Highway 35 in Los Gatos, also known as Skyline Boulevard, say this level of nature’s destruction was unimaginable before the road and its foundation collapsed on Friday.
The crater is at least 200-feet wide and several hundred feet deep. It is located down the street from Las Cumbres road.
