FLORIDA governor Ron DeSantis has ordered residents to evacuate as a reservoir threatens to burst sending a
catastrophic 20ft wall of polluted wastewater crashing through homes.
Officials in Tampa Bay warned an imminent breach at an old phosphate plant could gush out 340million gallons of water in minutes.
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Officials have warned Tampa Bay could be flooded by 20ft wall of polluted water from a collapsing reservoirCredit: WFLA
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There are fears the leaking gypsum stack could collapse at any momentCredit: Facebook
DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Manatee County after a leak at the wastewater pond threatened to flood homes and roads with billions of liters of contaminated water.
DEP lawyers already searching for ways to hold Piney Point owners accountable floridapolitics.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from floridapolitics.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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What is the situation at Piney Point on Wednesday?
More than 100 people and pets that were being sheltered in hotels can return home, businesses can reopen and most roads in the area, including a section of U.S. 41 that had been closed, are now open.
“This is very much under control now, said Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes.
Evacuation orders lifted at Piney Point as short-term crisis eases heraldtribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from heraldtribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A drone equipped with thermal imaging equipment identified a possible second breach in the containment pond wall that is leaking polluted water at the old Piney Point fertilizer plant property.
The drone imaging could be a sign of further structural problems with the wall, or it could be nothing. A Manatee County official said Monday it s not clear if the drone had identified something that already was known about.
A team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was assessing the structural integrity of phosphogypsum stack s containment pond wall Monday, Manatee County officials said. As of Monday afternoon, the worst case scenario - a total collapse of the earthen berm that causes flood water to inundate nearby properties - had been avoided, but the possible identification of additional weakness in the wall could be a concern.