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Heavy rain in Wharton overwhelmed sewage system, caused flooding

Wharton residents who suffered property damage Wednesday are urged to contact the city at (979) 532-2491.

WHARTON, Texas — The City of Wharton’s sewage system is no longer overwhelmed.

Folks in Wharton can flush away, according to city officials.

RELATED: Rain moving out of Houston area, more showers expected Thursday

However, Wharton residents who suffered property damage Wednesday are urged to contact the city at (979) 532-2491. Inspectors say they want to take a look at the property as part of a citywide damage assessment.

Home off Lake Shore Drive and FM 1301 will be a part of that assessment. The City of Wharton said it is the only neighborhood that’s still impassable.

Seven inches of rain dumped on Wharton in about six hours Wednesday morning. Police had to rescue some families from their homes. A local church is now working as a shelter.

To keep people off the road, Wharton County closed all of its offices Wednesday.

Still, that couldn’t keep curious kids like Caleb Moreno from getting on his bike to scope out the damage.

“I feel bad for those people who are flooded,” Moreno said. “It’s like Hurricane Harvey’s sister came in and destroyed us here today.”

Wharton is in the very early stages of a flood reduction project. It’s fully funded by the Army Corps of Engineers and will cover the construction of a levee to better protect Wharton from the Colorado River.

The project was sparked by the 2017 hurricane and will take several years to complete.

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