Officials in southeast Texas are urging evacuated residents to stay away from their homes after an eight-inch hole was discovered in a major dam.
The hundreds of residents living south of the Carter Lake dam in Camden, approximately 70 miles north of Houston, were first notified to evacuate their homes on Saturday night due to concerns that the dam had been compromised. Authorities said a resident in the area had reported “rushing water leaking from the dam.”
Approximately 20-30 homes are located within the impacted area, according to Fox News.
Emergency crews went door-to-door, warning residents to evacuate. Still, they have since been urged to stay away for an additional three days as the investigation into the dam continues.
The Polk County Office of Emergency Management has released a statement to update locals on the ongoing chaos, which said that the dam’s owners are pumping water out of the lake to assess the damage.
“The goal is to reduce the lake's water level about another 2 ft. from where it is currently to give the dam's property owners a better view of the extent of the damage,” a statement from the OEM read. “Pumping crews will be monitoring the pumps overnight, and Emergency response partners will be monitoring the area of concern throughout the night.
“The dam's property owners hope to begin conversations with an engineering firm tomorrow. The County estimates that it may take up to 3 days to know the extent of the damage and receive assurance from the engineer that the dam is stable and it's safe for residents to return home.
“Persons residing in the evacuation area are encouraged to avoid the area until further notice.”
Although no flooding has been reported yet, several major roads have been marked as being at risk.
Those roads include Henry Darden Road, Marie Road, Community Drive, Bo Peep, Herb Collins Road, and Girard.
Residents are currently being housed in a local gym in Livingston, which has been converted into a shelter. Evacuees are being provided with places to sleep and free food, with the American Red Cross providing significant support at the shelter.
Other residents have been encouraged to consider staying with friends or family to alleviate pressure on the Dunbar Gym Shelter.
Initially, locals were given a flash warning that was being enforced until 6 pm local time on Monday.
Since Carter Lake is a private reservoir, it falls outside the strict oversight laws that are enforced at dams across Texas. As a result, state inspections can be complex and require close collaboration between the dam’s owners and government officials.
On the other side of the state, locals are still reeling from a horrifying flood at Camp Mystic, which killed 27 girls, some as young as eight, on July 4. Richard Eastland, the camp’s owner, was also killed in the flood.
As Camp Mystic looks to reopen, parents have accused the camp of choosing to “house young girls in cabins sitting in flood-prone areas, despite the risk, to avoid the cost of relocating the cabins.”
The area was just one of many affected by the devastating floods, caused by the summer’s heavy rainfall, which claimed the lives of at least 82 people in central Texas.
