What happens if Oroville Dam fails?

It was a heart-stopping moment Sunday night as officials predicted the “imminent failure” of part of the Oroville Dam in Butte County, about 70 miles north of Sacramento.

The National Weather Service warned locals:

Operation of the auxiliary spillway has lead to severe erosion that could lead to a failure [of] a portion of the structure. Failure of the auxilia... read more...