A Race Against The Weather To Avoid Disaster At California Dam

There’s no word yet when the 188,000 people who evacuated their homes near Northern California’s Oroville Dam can return. Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties Tuesday. Authorities are scrambling to reduce Lake Oroville’s level by 50 feet and repair damages to a critical flood control measure ahead of a storm expected later this week. Residents were ordered to leave the area Sunday after massive damage to an emergency spillway -- which lets excess water out when Lake Oroville’s level rises to overflow the dam. If the spillway fails, it could flood communities downstream with what one official warned could be a "30-foot wall of water."