California authorities urged residents of the state north to leave the area near the dam Orovillskoy due to damage to the emergency spillway at the 230-meter dam. There is a danger of flooding in the area of ??the highest dam in the United States.

The emergency spillway can not withstand the load and collapse at any moment, authorities say, suggest that thousands of residents to flee their homes.

After a heavy rain the water level in Lake Oroville has risen to a critical level, which can not be lower due to a fault condition of the emergency spillway.

The idea is that if an emergency spillway will cease to perform its function, the water from the lake may rise left the level of the dam, which threatens to uncontrolled overflow of water over the edge of the dam.

During the 50-year history Orovillskoy dam, the highest in the US (230 meters), the evacuation of local residents are invited for the first time. The report Sheriff's eponymous city Oroville specially emphasized that this is not a drill, but a real emergency.

All 16 thousand residents urged to leave the city and travel further to the north of it. It is reported by BBC.