Workers racing against time to secure Oroville Dam before more storms hit

Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images(OROVILLE, Calif.) — More storms are expected to batter Northern California later this week, heightening the sense of urgency for the workers who are attempting to stabilize the area surrounding the Oroville Dam.

Nearly 200,000 people were evacuated on Sunday over concerns that a damaged spillway at Lake Oroville could fail, flooding the region with water.

Construction and helicopter units worked Tuesday to shore up an overflow channel and drain some water from the reservoir at the dam, in the hopes they can prevent spillage before more rain hits the already saturated region of California.

Close to 200 state employees were working at Oroville Tuesday morning and eight helicopters were deployed to deposit rocks, agents from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) told ABC News.

Light to moderate rain is expected Wednesday through Friday, according to ABC News meteorologists, before picking up again next week.

Next week’s storms are expected to hit Sunday through next Tuesday and cause area-wide flooding.

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