Two dams in the Houston area are overflowing as record rains hit in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, leaving communities in danger of further flooding.

The Addicks and Barker dams have overflown despites engineers releasing water from the structures, newswires have reported.  Officials have said that the overspill may cause further flooding in downstream areas, although its impact is as yet unknown.

Hurricane Harvey has been named as the most powerful hurricane in 50 years to hit Texas, subjecting the state to four days of consecutive rain, with more expected. President Trump visited the state today to see the damage caused by the Hurricane, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.