Harvey's downpour causes levee breach, dam overspill near Houston

Floods in Houston.
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Officials in Texas' Brazoria County, 30 miles south of Houston, urged residents near West Columbia to "GET OUT NOW" after the Columbia Lakes levee was breached Tuesday due to unprecedented rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey. Approximately 4,000 people live in the town.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.