The frantic fight to keep the Oroville Dam crisis from turning into a catastrophe - latimes

California officials are frantically trying to rapidly reduce water levels behind Oroville Dam — the nation’s tallest — after issuing evacuation orders for more than 100,000 people who live downstream.

Here’s an explainer for the current crisis, and how authorities are racing to prevent catastrophic flooding from affecting the Central Valley.

What’s the biggest concern?

The biggest concern was that a concrete wall, built atop a hillside,  that keeps water in Lake Oroville — California’s second largest reservoir — would suddenly crumble Sunday afternoon, threatening the lives of thousands of people by flooding communities downstream. 

With Lake Oroville filled to the brim, such a collapse could have caused a “30 foot wall of water coming out of the lake,” Cal-Fire incident commander Kevin Lawson said at a Sunday night press conference. - Read More

The frantic fight to keep the Oroville Dam crisis from turning into a catastrophe

Here's the nightmare scenario at Oroville Dam that officials are fighting to prevent