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Government records show the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicted ahead of Hurricane Harvey’s arrival that reservoirs in Houston would fill to record levels, flooding adjacent neighborhoods, but never shared the concern with the public.
A Corps forecast on Aug. 25, the same day Harvey made landfall, determined Barker and Addicks reservoirs would spill beyond their banks, engulfing homes and businesses.
It wasn’t until the next day that officials in Fort Bend County issued the first flood advisory for areas adjacent to Barker.
Authorities in Harris County, home to Houston, didn’t issue similar warnings until Aug. 27. But by then neighborhoods were already inundated.
The Houston Chronicle obtained the Corps records through discovery in a lawsuit filed by homeowners seeking compensation.
The Corps did not respond to the Chronicle’s request for comment.