While authorities monitored the Oroville Dam spillway repairs in late February, another disaster was in progress. 14,000 San Jose residents were forced to evacuate their homes as Coyote Creek overflowed. The problem appears to be a mismatch between expectations and reality. The flood occurred before the river reached its expected maximum flow. While the cause of the inaccurate data is being investigated, some possibilities have been voiced. Among the possibilities is that unexpected debris may have affected the expected water levels. Whatever the cause, a preventable error occurred.
Mayor Sam Liccardo acknowledged residents should not have first learned of the danger when rescuers arrived by boat to evacuate them.
Authorities cited other flood successful control expenditures and think future floods could be prevented along Coyote Creek. While this may be one solution, the flooding could have been caused by a variety of problems, some of which may cost significantly less. Once the data is re-evaluated, solutions will need to be put in place and the lessons learned need to be disseminated in other at-risk communities. Sharing information will aid in the prevention of similar floods, and contribute to a significant improvement in safety and a reduction in cost to resident and other tax-payers.