Houston

Two Houston-Area Reservoirs Drained After Spring Storms

The last floodwaters have finally drained from a usually dry reservoir near Houston that filled after heavy rain during deadly spring storms.

The Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday emptied the Addicks Reservoir, which began filling after mid-April rain. The Corps expects to empty Barker Reservoir in the next few days, The Houston Chronicle reported.

The normally dry reservoirs are used for flood control and eventually drain into Buffalo Bayou. Experts say the reservoirs this spring reached levels not seen since repeated storms in late 1991 and early 1992. According to the Corps, the dams prevented 24,000 structures from being inundated with water and an estimated $5 billion in damage.

Reservoirs project manager Richard Long said officials are now ready for the next storms.

"We didn't find any major issues at all that needed to be addressed," Long said. "We were very pleased with the way the reservoirs and the dams performed."

The emptying of the reservoirs means contractors will soon be able to resume repairs on the two dams, both of which were designated as unsafe by the Corps in 2009. Both reservoirs are about 70 years old.

Widespread flooding in April claimed at least eight lives and displaced thousands of people in the Houston area.

According to Federal Emergency Management data, the flooding in April and around Memorial Day has generated more than $84 million in aid across the state.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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