After a nearly five-year drought, Texas swung abruptly in the other direction as torrential rains caused deadly flooding this week. The storms that swept through the region now account for at least 18 deaths in Texas and Oklahoma.

On Wednesday morning, the City of Houston reported its water treatment plants were fully operational, stating that water quality within the system had not been affected by the flooding. The Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant, however, experienced severe flooding when the Brays Bayou overflowed its banks. According to a Click 2 Houston report, floodwaters damaged the plant’s electrical and mechanical systems, causing more than 100,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to spill into the surrounding floodwaters.

In a press release from Houston’s Department of Public Works and Engineering, officials said the spill has been contained and cleanup will begin as soon as the waters subside.

Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center, reported to the New York Times that a year ago, 72 percent of the state was in a drought. That number had decreased to 43 percent three months ago, and Fuchs expected the overall drought percentage to hit single digits this week.

We sent photographer William Chambers out to capture some of the Houston flooding. Here’s a quick look at some of the devastation.

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