Nearly 200,000 people have been told to evacuate the area surrounding the Oroville Dam in Northern California. Many were forced to leave their homes in a matter of minutes.
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The emergency spillway has eroded at Lake Oroville Dam, causing a large chasm. Lake Oroville is the state’s second-largest reservoir.
State officials said Sunday that they feared the hillside could collapse, resulting in the already full reservoir to spill out with a large wall of water barreling towards communities downstream, including downtown Oroville. A later update stated officials felt the immediate threat had passed, but evacuations orders remain in effect across Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties.
In response, Direct Relief has offered assistance to local clinics that are serving evacuees. This includes 13 community health centers and clinics in Direct Relief’s network of safety net providers, as well as the California Primary Care Association, the National Association of Community Health Centers and the PCA Emergency Management Advisory Coalition.
To find a health center in the evacuation zone, see the map below.
Direct Relief will continue to monitor the situation and stands ready to respond should the need arise.