LOST.
MARK FINAN AND EILEEN JAVORA
TELLS US WHY IT HAPPENED AND WHY
IT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
♪
HELICOPTER, SOMEONE IS TRAPPED.
>> SEVERAL BREAKS IN THE RIVER.
IT.
OFFICIALS ARE STOPPING AND
TURNING AROUND ALL VEHICLES.
RUN INTO FLOODING.
>> IT IS NOT A PRETTY SIGHT.
A WIDE BREAK IN THE LEVEE.
MARK THE IMAGES OF THE FLOOD
ARE ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE
HISTORY OF DROUGHT.
OF THERE.
THEY ARE IN BRUSH.
EILEEN: CALIFORNIA HAD TOO
MUCH
WATER FOR MORE THAN A MONTH AND
ENOUGH.
WHILE THE FLOOD W CAUSED I
RAIN, THE STORY OF THE NEW
YEAR'S FLOOD STARTED BEFORE
CHRISTMAS WITH SNOW.
MARK: COLD STORMS BROUGHT
PLENTIFUL SNOW TO THE SIERRAS.
FOR LATE DECEMBER.
AFTER CHRISTMAS.
AT.
EILEEN A SERIES OF WARM, WET
STOR BEGAN TO LINED UP IN THE
CALIFORNIA.
IT RAINED AND RAINED.
MARK: ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST
WARM.
THE SNOW WAS UP NEAR 9000 FEET.
>> DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUES TO
AREA.
MELTED AWAY.
RIVERS IN THE SIERRA.
THE SOUTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN
RIVER.
MARK: ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY
THAT COVERED HIGHWAY 50 AND
BLOCKED THE RIVER.
TH FLOW WAS BLOCKED AND HIGHWAY
50 WAS CLOSED FOR DAYS.
ITS WAY TO FOLSOM LAKE.
THE TRUCKEE RIVER FLOODED THE
TOWN OF TRUCKEE AND DOWN TO RENO
AND INCLUDING THE RENO AIRPORT.
INUNDATED WITH WATER.
MARK: WATER POURED DOWN EVERY
RIVER ON THE WEST SLOPE OF THE
SIERRA.
EVERY RIVER WAS ON THE RISE.
RIVER FLOODED
SINCE 1862.
WITH A HIGH WATER MARK THAT IS
STILL NOTED TODAY.
EILEEN: THE RIV NEAR NEVADA
CITY WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE
CITY.
WE
THREE DAYS.
ON JANUARY 2, THE RIVER THAT IS
HIGH LEVEL.
MARK: THE FLOAT DOWN THE RIVER
WAS MORE THAN TWICE THE PREVIOUS
FAIL IN 18 PLACES.
>> LOOK AT THE WATER RAGING AND
HEADING TOWARDS HOMES.
THIS IS A LONG SLOW HOUSE ROAD.
EILEEN: 15,000 PEOPLE EVACUATED.
100 HOMES WERE FLOODED.
THE FLOODWATER COVER HIGHWAY
99 AND I FIVE CLOSI THOSE
IMPOSSIBLE.
MARK THE NATIONAL GUARD RESCUED
THOS CAUGHT IN THE RISING WATER
LIKE THIS ON TWIN CITY ROAD.
>> THIS PERSON IS
TRAPPED AND IS
THERE.
NOT SURE IF THEY WILL HOVER OVER
TO THE SIDE.
WE WILL HAVE TO SEE WHICH OPTION
HE GOES FOR.
LOOKS LIKE MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
MARK ON THE MAJOR RIVERS, IT
RELEASES WERE INCREASED.
FOLSOM DAM.
THE WATER RAN HIGH IN TH
LEVEES
COUNTY.
LE PATROLS
BUT THEY HELD.
EILEEN FURTHER NORTH, INCREASES
INCREASED.
THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT THE
LEVEE DOWNSTREAM WOULD FAIL.
WAS
EVACUATED.
WHEN THEY HEARD THE NEWS, THE
NEWS WAS GOOD.
EVERYONE IS EVER
WATCHFUL BUT
THE SIGNS ARE ENCOURAGING.
MARK: THIS GOOD NEWS WAS
TEMPORARY.
DOWNSTREAM.
ARIE PHIL WAS EVEN --
MARYSVILLE WAS EVACUATED.
ON THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 2, JUST
AFTE 8:00, WE HEARD THE WORST.
>> HERE ARE THE DREADED WORDS,
LEVEE BREAK.
MARK: THERE WAS A RUSH TO
EVACUATE BEFORE DARK.
I WAITED TOO LONG.
IT CAME IN VERY FAST.
>> THE SUNSHINE IS UP AND THIS
IS OUR FIRST LOOK AT THE BREAK.
EILEEN
THE DAMAGE FROM THE LEVEE
FAILURE.
WATER.
WATER FLOWE THROUGH THE BREAK
FOR AS FAR AS THE EYE COULD SEE
TO FARMS AND HOMES.
IT IS VERY DISTURBING.
MARK THE FLOODING WAS SO
EXTENSIVE AND THE NEED IS GREAT,
THE COAST GUARD WAS BROUGHT INT
OUT.
MANY HAD TO WAIT DAYS TO SEE
WHAT THE FLOOD HAD LEFT BEHIND.
ME
T
TROUBLE.
SEEN BEFORE.
THAT HIGH WATER BACKED UP DRY
MANY NEIGHBORHOODS.
MARK
ENGULFED IN WATER 5-10 FEET
DEEP.
LEVEE BREAKS CONTINUED
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SAN JOAQUIN
RIVER.
AND MANTECA.
>> THEY HAVE TO HURRY.
EILEEN THERE WERE 24,000 HOMES
THAT HAD BEEN DESTROYED OR
ONLY 6% HAD FLOOD INSURANCE.
FROM LEVEE REPAIRS TO REBUILDING
MARK: THE EFFORT TO PREVENT THE