Officials watching ‘high risk’ dams after Houston storms

HOUSTON (AP) — As flooding caused by this week’s heavy rainfall continues to inundate Houston-area homes, officials are keeping an eye on two major dams deemed “extremely high risk” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Authorities said Wednesday the dams — at 50 percent capacity — are working well and were classified as high risk only because they’re about two decades beyond their life expectancy and in a populated area.

Richard Long, with the Corps’ project operations branch, says it will take a long time to drain the reservoirs behind the dams in controlled releases. There is about two months’ worth of water to get rid of.

But as more water continues to come into the reservoirs from rivers and streams, officials expect some homes and streets near the dams to be flooded.