HOUSTON (CN) - Brazoria County, home to over 300,000 people south of Houston, tweeted orders Tuesday to “GET OUT NOW!!” as a levee at Columbia Lakes failed.
The dire situation in Texas’ largest city went from bad to worse as the levee was breached, two reservoirs overflowed and rain continued to fall.
Brazoria County tweeted Tuesday morning that the levee at Columbia Lakes has been breached. The message said, "GET OUT NOW!!" Brazoria County is located south of Houston, and is home to more than 300,000 people.
Officials were forced to "explore potential impacts to structures along Buffalo Bayou," Houston's main waterway, after record levels of rain filled the Addicks and Barker reservoirs in west Houston, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The Harris County Flood Control District said that the Addicks and Barker reservoirs were both overflowing by Tuesday.
Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist for the district, said some homes could remain underwater for as long as one month.
"Disastrous flooding is occurring on the west fork of the San Jacinto River. Water is likely into the second story of homes, if not over the rooftops, along the river," he said.
A Harris County official told Reuters that roads and bridges are beginning to fail in the Houston area due to the stress caused by flood waters. Local CBS affiliate KHOU posted a video showing a concrete freeway barrier breaking and falling into the water on Highway 59 at the San Jacinto Bridge downtown.
An Exxon Mobil also confirmed Tuesday that Hurricane Harvey damaged two of its refineries in the area, causing hazardous pollutants to be released into the air, according to a Washington Post report.
President Donald Trump arrived in Texas on Tuesday to a scene of devastation caused by Harvey, the first major natural disaster of his presidency.
The president and First Lady Melania Trump came to Corpus Christi to see the federal government’s response to the massive storm that has caused catastrophic flooding in Houston.
He was briefed on Harvey at a local fire station and was joined by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold.
Trump said at the meeting, "This was of epic proportions. Nobody's ever seen anything like this."
"I just want to say that working with the governor and his entire team has been an honor for us," he said. "We won't say 'congratulations,' we don't want to do that. We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished."
Trump left Corpus Christi on Tuesday afternoon for Austin, where he'll meet with more state officials.
Boat and truck rescues continued Tuesday and city officials called for volunteer nurses and mental health workers, towels, socks and blankets to be delivered to a downtown convention shelter where nearly 9,000 people have taken shelter. A Houston police officer drowned in the floodwaters, bringing the storm's death toll 15.
The George R. Brown Convention Center reached its 5,000 people capacity Monday night, but Mayor Sylvester Turner said it will keep accepting evacuees as Tropical Storm Harvey continues to dump rain on a region inundated by the worst flooding in its history.
Turner set up a Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund in response to calls from people and companies across the United States who want to help flood victims.