Race to save badly damaged California dam before MORE rainfall: Second storm is set to hit the tallest dam in America in 48 hours and could cause 100ft deep flood and leave 200,000 homeless
Pouring: The department said authorities were releasing water to lower the lake's level after weeks of heavy rains in drought-plagued California
California Department of Water Resources officials (left) waited until Monday morning to investigate an erosion scar on the spillway at Oroville Dam, having previous warned the worst case scenario of a complete structural breakdown at the emergency spillway would unleash a torrent of water that would engulf Oroville within an hour. The ensuing flood from the 770-foot dam would catastrophically put the city and several other low-lying communities along the Feather River under 100ft of water. The potential disaster is the result of massive spikes in water levels as a result of snow and heavy rain after years of drought, and damage to the primary and emergency spillways at the dam. Officials first noticed a large hole in the dam's spillway last week. The threat appeared to ease somewhat Monday, which officials saying water flows into the lake stood at about 45,000 cubic feet per second with outflows at 100,000 cubic feet per second. But the forecasted arrival of another heavy storm this week has experts working desperately to get the water level down by 50-feet before Wednesday. Weather maps show the rain will begin to hit on Wednesday night, before the worst of it will be dumped on Thursday morning.
Destruction: An aerial photograph shows the damage done to the area surrounding the spillway at Oroville Dam after it nearly collapsed on Sunday
Power: A water utility worker stares at the staggering amount of water being released down the spillway at the Oroville Dam after its spillway almost collapsed on Sunday - sparking the evacuation of 200,000 people
Still pouring: Water continues to run down the main spillway at Lake Oroville on Monday. The water level dropped overnight behind the nation's tallest dam
Still flowing: As the day began, officials from the California Department of Water Resources prepared to inspect an erosion scar (pictured) on the spillway at the dam on Lake Oroville, about 150 miles northeast of San Francisco
Looming danger: A California Department of Fish and Wildlife employee observes the rushing water as it drains down the spillway at the Oroville Dam after it nearly partially collapsed on Sunday
Raging: The water level dropped Monday behind the dam, reducing the risk of a catastrophic spillway collapse and easing fears that prompted the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people downstream
Makeshift: Water rushes down a spillway as an emergency measure at the Oroville Dam in Oroville, California
Brutal fix: Rock is prepped to be used on the Lake Oroville Dam to plug the hole in the spillway that almost imploded
Effort: Officials said the situation seemed less dire overnight but Sacramento television station KCRA reported that helicopters from around the state were sent to drop chest-high bags of rocks to close the hole in the spillway
Destruction: An aerial photograph shows the damage done to the area surrounding the spillway at Oroville Dam after it nearly collapsed on Sunday
Power: A water utility worker stares at the staggering amount of water being released down the spillway at the Oroville Dam after its spillway almost collapsed on Sunday - sparking the evacuation of 200,000 people
Still pouring: Water continues to run down the main spillway at Lake Oroville on Monday. The water level dropped overnight behind the nation's tallest dam
Still flowing: As the day began, officials from the California Department of Water Resources prepared to inspect an erosion scar (pictured) on the spillway at the dam on Lake Oroville, about 150 miles northeast of San Francisco
Looming danger: A California Department of Fish and Wildlife employee observes the rushing water as it drains down the spillway at the Oroville Dam after it nearly partially collapsed on Sunday
Raging: The water level dropped Monday behind the dam, reducing the risk of a catastrophic spillway collapse and easing fears that prompted the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people downstream
Makeshift: Water rushes down a spillway as an emergency measure at the Oroville Dam in Oroville, California
Brutal fix: Rock is prepped to be used on the Lake Oroville Dam to plug the hole in the spillway that almost imploded
Effort: Officials said the situation seemed less dire overnight but Sacramento television station KCRA reported that helicopters from around the state were sent to drop chest-high bags of rocks to close the hole in the spillway
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