Texas ‘6th Great Lake’ As Flood Now Size Of Lake Michigan: Addicks Dam ‘Imminent Spill-Over’
Flood waters continue to rise in the Houston, Texas, area as the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey brings more rain and flooding. To put the seriousness of this flooding into perspective, officials in Houston, speaking with Fox & Friends this morning, said a “sixth great lake” has formed in the nation and that’s called “Texas.” The flooded area is the “size of Lake Michigan” said the official. It is a “catastrophic flooding event” not isolated to one area, said a firefighter talking with reporters. He was still working to rescue people today off roofs of homes.
The Addicks Dam in Houston has reached its spill-over level, bringing with it fears of the dam sending “uncontrollable waves” of water headed toward homes and businesses. This could also include downtown Houston, reported Brian Kilmeade on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning.
The water has never been at this level, so concerns that this levy will even be able to hold that much water back for any length of time have surfaced. It is believed that question will be addressed at this morning’s press conference from state and local officials in Texas, according to Fox.
Workers from the of the Army Corps of Engineers have embarked on controlled releases of the water for two Houston dams that hold back two reservoirs from spilling into Houston. These are the Addicks and Barker reservoirs, according to the Washington Post.
This morning the reports coming from Fox News reporters, who are stationed all across the Texas flood area, is that Houston is bracing for more flooding. It is imminent the Addicks Dam will spill over and this will be an “uncontrolled” spill. This means they will have no control over how much water is released at one time, which is why these waves of water are a possibility.
Thousands of homes to be affected as Army Corps releases water from Houston dams. @Clayton_Sandell reports. https://t.co/fTYxWaHbpo pic.twitter.com/gwAD7AAC9G
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) August 28, 2017
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas spoke with Fox & Friends this morning, and he said they are monitoring the dam situation, but their main concern is getting people to safety right now. He has been in daily contact with the president and the White House, and they’ve assured the governor they will have all the manpower they need. The dams are “obviously a very deep concern,” said Governor Abbot when asked about the water level now being at spill level by the Fox & Friends hosts.
While Forbes Magazine reports that 25 trillion gallons of water could fall on the state of Texas by the time this storm moves out, that’s not something you can easily picture in your mind. When you say the area of flooding is the size of Lake Michigan, then this gives you a better idea of what they are dealing with in Texas. The state of Rhode Island would have 931 inches of water, which is approximately 77 feet, of rainfall across the entire state if they had to deal with the same amount of flood water that fell on Texas, according to a table created on Forbes. This also offers up more of a perspective of what Texas is dealing with today.
Army Corps Forced to Unleash Houston Dams After Waters Hit Dangerous Levels – The Daily Beast https://t.co/Q2HGJrEZM1
— Amy (@flwrpwr1969) August 28, 2017
According to Fox & Friends on Tuesday morning, this flooding event in Texas is going to take “years” of recovery, not a year but “years,” according to officials they spoke with during their show. CBS News is reporting that it is feared the “worst has yet to come” today with the flooding in the Houston area. The rain is forecast to continue, and there is just nowhere for this water to go.
[Featured Image by David J. Phillip/AP Images]
