Rain keeps pounding Houston, floodwaters rush past levee

Floodwaters from monster storm Harvey have overwhelmed a levee near a subdivision of homes near rainy Houston on Tuesday and water was pouring into the area, officials in Texas said.

Brazoria County, which is south of Houston and west of Galveston, tweeted out a warning that residents should leave the Columbia Lakes area.

pic.twitter.com/sUTyXBzer9

— Brazoria County (@BrazoriaCounty) August 29, 2017

County Judge Matt Sebesta said that the water has come over the levee in the northeast part of the subdivision and was starting to fill the area.

He said residents were told that at some point the levee would be “overtopped” and that a mandatory evacuation order had been issued Sunday.

The county was struggling to keep up with the number of calls it was receiving, finally tweeting out a plea to limit mobile phone calls to emergencies only, explaining that priority callers were having trouble getting through.

Harvey, which hit land as a hurricane on Friday but has been downgraded as it moves, has dumped more than 40 inches of rain in four parts of Houston. Nearly two dozen sections of the city have recorded more than 3 feet of rain.

A Houston police officer drowned in his patrol car early Tuesday trying to get to work. He was the 15th storm-related fatality in the state.

The Coast Guard said late Monday it had made 3,000 rescues.

“The Coast Guard is continuing to receive upwards of 1,000 calls per hour,” US Coast Guard Lt. Mike Hart told CNN on Monday.

Eastex Fwy. Day 3. DAY THREE. #Houston pic.twitter.com/0wJdB82oDn

— Courtney Fischer (@CourtneyABC13) August 29, 2017

Houston city leaders said they will open two, possibly three more mega-shelters to temporarily house flood escapees who continue to show up at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The facility was already filled beyond capacity.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said the center already held more than 9,000 people, almost twice the number had planned.

“We are not turning anyone away, but it does mean we need to expand our capabilities and our capacity,” Turner said.

“Relief is coming.”

The downtown Toyota Center, home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, could be one of the new shelters.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived in Corpus Christie, Texas on Tuesday morning to offer support and to appraise the damage firsthand.

Hurricane Harvey swept through the city Friday night.

The president and first lady were also scheduled to visit Austin.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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