[masraum]

Originally Posted by Baz

Any loss of life?

Yesterday the missus heard 5 on TV, but I don't have the details.

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Just heard on the radio that they are doing a controlled release from two reservoirs into already overflowing Buffalo Bayou. I guess there are no good options for anyone.
Praying harder and faster for you guys it Texistan.

Addicks and Barker Cypress Dam Releases | Houston Press

Constructed in the 1940s to prevent a massive flood from ever overtaking downtown Houston (this was done in the wake of the devastating 1935 flood) the dams were dubbed to be in "extremely high risk of catastrophic failure" in 2009, but have not had much in the way of upgrades in the years since then. Because of this, they can only hold so much water safely.

So on Monday morning Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner dug into why water needs to be released from Addicks and Barker, sort of.

Turner announced the Corps has started out by releasing about 2,500 cubic feet per second from Addicks and about 2,000 cubic feet per second from Barker, adding up to about 5,000 cubic feet per second that is now coming down Buffalo Bayou. The plan is to increase the release level to about 8,000 cubic feet per second from both reservoirs, according to Turner.

"When that water is released it is going to come downstream. It is going to add water to Buffalo Bayou," Turner said. "They are releasing the water and it is gradual, and they are indicating that if they don't do it, the water builds up and it will go around the dams and be exponentially worse."

So what happens to the water being released? Well, it flows into Buffalo Bayou, spreading out into the neighborhoods near Addicks and Barker, spreading out into the homes near Addicks and Barker and gradually increasing the levels of Buffalo Bayou as the water flows down into the city.

It will not flood Katy, according to Harris County Flood Control District. Instead the water will move into neighborhoods like Bear Creek Village, which is located right next to Addicks. Authorities expect about a thousand homes to flood due to these gradual releases.

From there the water probably will not subside quickly. It could be anywhere from weeks to months before the water recedes and people are able to get back into their homes, hence why officials are encouraging people in these neighborhoods to leave now, if they can.

That's bad enough, but the releases, which will take about 12 hours to reach downtown Houston in current flow conditions, also mean Buffalo Bayou will not be receding much anytime soon, Turner stated.

And the thing is, the releases have to happen because the other option – to let the dam continue to hold water without any relief – is untenable since there is always a chance that these dam systems will ultimately not be able to handle the water that is coming in.

“If they don’t do it, if they don’t release the water and it goes up and then it goes around Addicks and Barker, that will be incrementally worse,” Turner said, describing a much gentler worst-case scenario that completely avoids even hinting there’s a chance the dams could collapse entirely.