An already-swollen reservoir west of downtown Houston is expected to crest levees Tuesday morning, sending an "uncontrolled release" of Harvey's floodwaters into neighborhoods, and putting the besieged city into "uncharted territory," according to an official.
The Addicks Reservoir, located about 19 miles west of downtown, will spill over for the first time in history by daylight Tuesday, threatening immediate surrounding subdivisions, an official told Fox News.
Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County (Texas) Flood Control District, told Fox News the spillover will cause "serious flooding in immediate areas," starting as a trickle, then becoming an uncontrolled release of water. Second-story homes also will be at risk, Linder added.
Lindner said this does not mean that downtown Houston will necessarily be greatly impacted, but officials don't fully know what will happen because they've never faced this situation before.
The move was supposed to help shield the business district from floodwaters, but it also risked flooding thousands more homes in nearby subdivisions. Built after devastating floods in 1929 and 1935, the reservoirs were designed to hold water until it can be released downstream at a controlled rate.
When asked on Twitter how the overflow will travel, Lindner said water release will initially turn south down the Sam Houston Tollway, but added "we are not very confident how it will flow since it has never happened."
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/29/harvey-floodwaters-put-houston-reservoirs-in-uncharted-territory.html
