The Oroville Dam in California faced a major crisis in 2017 when its spillway disintegrated due to heavy rains. The failure of the dam could have resulted in a catastrophic flood, and nearly 20,000 people downstream were evacuated. An independent report identified flaws in the dam’s design and maintenance, as well as a lack of communication between authorities. This incident highlighted the vulnerability of California’s dams to extreme weather events. Furthermore, the state’s dams may be unprepared for future storms due to miscalculations based on outdated flood data and a failure to account for climate change. Dam safety is an overlooked problem, with responsibility scattered among various agencies.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/magazine/california-dams.html