188,000 Ordered Evacuated as Oroville Dam Spillway Creates Emergency

"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."

Ryan Sabalow and Sam Stanton report for the Sacramento Bee February 12, 2017.

SEE ALSO:

"Photos: Oroville Dam Spillway Trouble and Evacuation" (KQED)