Oroville Dam Failure Leads to Unsafe Driving
Nearly 200,000 people have had to evacuate from Northern California after the state’s second-largest reservoir’s auxiliary spillway struggled to maintain the proper levels of water. Although the Oroville Dam is some two hours away, as the crow flies, there are still several potential issues that could lead to problems this far down south.
Increased Rain
The first is, of course, the same weather conditions that have led to significant increases in the water levels in the reservoir near Oroville. The risk of car accidents in Antioch necessarily increases because of the amount of rain throughout Northern California. According to weather experts, there have been two times as much precipitation in recent months than average.
Driving Techniques in Wet Weather
What this would normally mean is that drivers need to practice the techniques that have always made sense: always use headlights when your wipers are on, keep more distance than normal between yourself and the vehicle ahead of you, etc. Also, roads can often become damaged and worn down after excessive precipitation, and drivers must be mindful of the potential for even worse conditions.
Changes in Traffic Patterns
Perhaps more importantly, driving safely in Antioch is going to be affected by changes in traffic patterns. Excessive rainfall in less-populated areas affects everything from evacuees and construction to finding seasonal work. If everything is flooded or unusable up north, then a number of people will come further south.
Increased Traffic
To the same extent, as aid comes from agencies throughout the state to help monitor the potentially devastating sequence in Oroville, there will be first responders, construction crews and utility crews that will be snaking their way up north to assist in the process. Things could get better or things could get worse but the preparations are likely to put hundreds of cars and trucks on the roads in the vicinity that aren’t normally there.
Oroville Dam Crisis
The Oroville Dam crisis is also a reminder of how fragile many large structures are, regardless of the amount of government spending on them. With the visage of Mt. Diablo always on the horizon, various mountain roads and flooding can combine to be disastrous. It is always wise to check weather reports prior to traveling upon our roadways. Whenever possible, stay home until after the storm.
Antioch Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, an Antioch car accident attorney. If you, or a loved one, have suffered serious injuries as the result of a car or truck accident, please call me at (925) 428-5220 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice.
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