Florida officials work to prevent 'catastrophic flood' from leaking reservoir
By Kelly Hayes
article
Drone footage from Manatee County shows water flowing from Piney Point. (Photo credit: Manatee County via FOX 13 Tampa Bay)
PALMETTO, Fla. - Officials in Florida said Sunday that crews were working to prevent the collapse of a large reservoir leaking in the Tampa Bay area and holding some 300 million gallons of water. The area has been evacuated, including hundreds of inmates at a county jail, to avoid a "catastrophic flood."
An uncontrolled breach at the old phosphate plant reservoir has the potential to spill out 340 million gallons of water in a matter of minutes, risking a 20-foot-high wall of water, according to Manatee County officials.