The Oroville Dam is a large earthen dam located in Northern California, built in the 1960s to provide water storage, hydroelectric power, and flood control to the surrounding areas.

On February 12, 2017, following a period of heavy rainfall, a significant portion of the dam's main spillway collapsed, leading to concerns about the dam's integrity and the potential for catastrophic flooding downstream.

In response to the crisis, authorities quickly evacuated more than 180,000 people from the surrounding areas, and a massive repair and reconstruction effort was launched to address the damage to the spillway and prevent the dam from failing completely. Over the course of several months, crews worked around the clock to reinforce the dam and construct a new, larger spillway that could handle the increased water flow.

The incident raised concerns about the safety and stability of aging infrastructure in the United States, as well as the potential impact of climate change on water management systems. In the aftermath of the disaster, officials implemented new safety measures and protocols to prevent similar failures from occurring in the future, and the Oroville Dam remains an important reminder of the importance of responsible water management and infrastructure maintenance.