quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
Fuck em

Peoples' lives are in danger and not necessarily through any fault of their own.

Let's reign in the cynicism please.

I used to own land in that area. This is an entirely different Calfornia. Most people are conservative, own guns, into hunting, fishing, outdoor stuff. My friend who lived there had a CCW, very easy to get in that county. I seriously considered moving there.

Potential catastrophic deal for lots of good folks, most of whom do not likely have flood insurance.

In my prayers.

Oh man, that's no bueno.

Those people must be terrified.

I know at least a little of the feeling of being flooded out. The Willamette River in Eugene has a big bend in it. Right at the outside apex of the bend the water came within inches of breaking over the bank. The authorities said a whole new river channel could have been cut. Right through our property. This was the huge flood at Christmas time 1964. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_flood_of_1964

More recently the Willamette River did breach into rock mine pits right next to it. My present residence is now in the area opposite the breach and the flood filled mine pits. Luckily the pit banks are higher on my side. But we did sweat that one too.

not to bring politics into this, -- and this has no ideology bent to it -- But any new president best not fuck this up. BEFORE preferably rather than after, a failure. Mind you I have no idea what the fed.gov could possibly do, but best to do literally anything they can, than be judged as not doing something.

I hope to God it doesn't fail. Why in the hell can't an emergency spillway just work? Piss poor design.

I'm going to be a bit harsh myself. This seems to be another case of California's own doing. The coastline of California is overpopulated. There is not enough water for the number of people living on the coastline. So they resort to measures like this damn.

Forgive me. My memory isn't that great. But I could swear that within the last two years California was facing a massive drought. Can anyone explain to me what happened weather wise in the intervening period?

Also, did California water authorities do anything to strengthen or reinforce this damn while the water was down?

Prayers for the people living in that area that everyone comes out safe and the damn Damn holds.

I used to visit a family in extreme NE CA. One could of been in WY as far as the activities and politics of those living there. Of course they are overwhelmed by those on the liberal coastal cities.

I'd think CA will be sniffing around for Federal help with the dam & evacuation costs. That's the part where the Feds may drag their feet some. After all, they seem to have the $$$ for the endless State agencies they create.

Regardless, it's got to be a real pain to have an hour to load up your vehicle and evacuate, not knowing the outcome.

Any of them who might wait 'till the last hour to evac are nuts if they think Federal money has more power than Mother Nature. To help and fix any States "real problems", leadership not politics is needed, as a constant. When the irresponsible freaks at the top of States gov piss away billions for their own political gains, decade after decade and, the people dont step up and say no, we get what we get. President Trump aint no magician and even after he helps he will be attacked.

Maybe some of the Billions spent on illegal aliens could have gone to damn maintenance?

Prayers for the people in the path but nothing but contempt for the system that created the problem.

quote:

Prayers for the people in the path but nothing but contempt for the system that created the problem.

Like the two wolves and the one sheep voting on what to have for dinner, I suspect the people that are direcrly affected by this didn't have much say in the process that put them in peril.

quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
Fuck em

As one who lives 50 miles south of the dam, I appreciate your compassion. While I wouldn't be affected directly, it would certainly devastate the region and economy for a while. Regardless of how one voted in November, I assume you're not wishing for people to die or for their lives to be destroyed.

They increased flow out of the damaged spill way to take pressure off of the emergency spillway. They'll asses how best to shore up the emergency spillway before allowing residents to return. While I'm not the biggest fan of CA.gov, I'd imagine the folks at DWR have their best and brightest working the problem with the hope of avoiding the dam's failure.

Perhaps when this is over the govt will realize the need to increase water storage in the state.

Exx just said what others did, in the beginning of this topic, with fewer words. He was probably eating his breakfast. 2 Moderators have reminded him. I highly doubt he wants harm or loss to come to anyone affected by this. Good enough?

I'll remember this next time when the Mississippi spills its banks or tornados touch down in the Midwest. As long as I'm wordy, I can be less compassionate.

I'm hoping for the best here. I trust engineers over bureaucrats.

Pushing back from the gate. Gots to go.

I lived in SE Idaho in the mid 1970s when the Teton Damn failed on a Saturday morning. I worked for days helping sandbag low lying areas on the Snake river in anticipation of the flood waters reaching Idaho Falls.

3 days later I saw the incredible damage done be this terrible event when a couple of us went to Rexburg and Sugar City.

Luckily only a few lives were lost and the government owned up to a flawed project and financially reimbursed those impacted.

Damns are great for lots of reasons like fishing, boating and periodic flood control........but when that 50 or 100 year event occurs, the story line can change overnight.

At least these folks have warning and can expvacuate the downstream area. Hopefully the main structure will not fail. My prayers are with them all.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Broadside:
Forgive me. My memory isn't that great. But I could swear that within the last two years California was facing a massive drought. Can anyone explain to me what happened weather wise in the intervening period?

One of the first warnings about rising global temperatures was that weather patterns would change: Some places would become warmer, some cooler, some places would get more precipitation, some less. Overall, precipitation would increase because higher temperatures means more water in the air, and what goes up must come down. In addition those changes wouldn’t be consistent and would often be unpredictable. Where I live we had a very mild fall and early winter; almost overnight, however, things changed with one snowstorm after another that had old time residents asking, “When will it stop?” Anyone who has paid the slightest attention over the past several decades could cite countless other examples.

I’m not one of those who claim to think that a butterfly’s flapping its wings in the rainforest can cause a hurricane in Florida, but things like overall temperature changes can have significant effects.

Or it could just be natural variations; droughts came and went long before people could have had any effect on the climate.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Exx just said what others did, in the beginning of this topic, with fewer words. He was probably eating his breakfast. 2 Moderators have reminded him. I highly doubt he wants harm or loss to come to anyone affected by this. Good enough?

Wow. That's one hell of a twisted interpretation. Nothing negative or mean spirited was said in the thread until Exx chimed in with terse, foul, hate filled thought for the day. I guess he was running low on Christian charity at the time. There is no doubt that he wants harm and loss to come those in the path of the flood waters. I'd go so far as to say that he dreams of death and destruction to those innocent people.
Doubts that he meant anything bad by that statement, that's a laugh.

Enough. Not another word about it.

I've been a part of an evac, but from fire instead of water. I feel for all those who have to leave behind everything and hope they'll be able to return someday soon. lets hope some emergency attempts to fix the problem work. Sounds like they wanted to helicopter rocks into some area? looking at the areal videos, I don't really understand their plan, but I am definitely in awe of the power of water when I see that 100,000 cf of water they're releasing.