As climate change progresses, expect many more Oroville Dam disasters.
"The situation at Oroville Dam comes as much of California is suffering from climate whiplash," following a rapid switch from drought to record-breaking precipitation.
That kind of extreme weather is closely linked with climate change. Moreover, dams like Oroville are generally calibrated to withstand only historic levels of precipatation. With climate change expected to yield new record highs, that assumption looks deadly.