Spring Creek, located north of Houston, is projected to exceed its highest recorded flood level this week after a relentless onslaught of rain from Hurricane Harvey.
The National Weather Service described hurricane turned tropical storm as “epic and catastrophic. The National Guard has deployed 4,000 members to aid the Houston area during the flood as the Category 4 hurricane resulted in at least three deaths and displaced hundreds of families, many of whom took shelter in the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Twelve inches of rainfall at on Texas A&M's campus overflowed the city of College Station's public water system, according to a report from The Battalion. Between Saturday and Sunday, College Station wastewater operators estimated 100,000 gal of wastewater has overflowed. The city urged those with private wells near the site to use distilled or boiled water until further notice.
The flooding also created a power outage in Corpus Christi, Texas Saturday, according to the Corpus Christi NBC affiliate. Officials suggested residents limit use of toilets and faucets until power was restored.
According to a press release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, ACE began releasing water from two reservoirs, Addicks and Barker Dams, Monday morning. Although the move was likely to flood more homes, ACE said it would limit damage to a greater number of homes by flowing into the Buffalo Bayou.
“If we don’t begin releasing now, the volume of uncontrolled water around the dams will be higher and have a greater impact on the surrounding communities,” said Col. Lars Zetterstrom, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District in the press release. “We are coordinating floodwater releases from Addicks and Barker with the Harris County Flood Control District so they can make informed decisions for the communities they support.”
According to data from the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, the flooding is unlikely to recede until Thursday, almost one week since Harvey struck the Texas coast. Inland, river levels are projected to climb through Wednesday as officials expect more rainfall. Zetterstrom urged the public to listen to local emergency management officials as public safety is the greatest concern.
Photo source: Wikipedia
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