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According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, a small breach already took place on Friday, where it came from a 77-acre pond.
Since Saturday, officials have tried to plug the hole using rocks and other materials. So if you are in an evacuation area and you have not heeded that, you need to think twice and follow the orders, said Manatee County Acting Administrator Scott Hopes, who spoke at a Sunday press conference. We re talking about the potential of about 600 million gallons in a matter of seconds and minutes leaving that retention pool.
Officials fear uncontrolled breach of Florida wastewater reservoir; hundreds evacuated msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The risk that we re dealing with right now is that uncontrolled release, Hopes said.
DeSantis expands state of emergency amid concerns of catastrophic flood situation
The flood threat prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency for Manatee County on Saturday. He expanded that ordinance Sunday to include nearby Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. This will ensure that all state resources are available for response and recovery, DeSantis said Sunday. What we are looking at now is trying to prevent and respond to, if need be, a real catastrophic flood situation.
Some of the more than 316 households affected by the mandatory evacuation order have been put in hotels by Manatee County and the Red Cross, according to DeSantis.
Manatee County residents living near the former Piney Point fertilizer processing plant were evacuated Saturday because of serious concerns that a collapse of the walls holding hundreds of million gallons of polluted industrial wastewater at the complex by Tampa Bay could occur at any time.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Manatee County in response to the danger, and the Florida Highway Patrol closed part of U.S. 41 between the Hillsborough County Line and Moccasin Wallow Road as crews worked to release more water in order to relieve pressure on the containment system. Other roads such as Buckeye Road, Bud Rhoden Road, 113th Street and Oneill Road were also closed.
Officials fear uncontrolled breach of Florida wastewater reservoir; hundreds evacuated msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.