When it was announced Sunday that the Barker and Addicks Reservoirs would have controlled releases of water to minimize flooding in the west Harris County and northern Fort Bend County areas, residents were encouraged to evacuate if they were in the pathway of the waters. But where those waters will travel has been misunderstood, according to Simon VanDyk, public information officer for Harris County Emergency Services District No. 48, which includes the reservoirs. VanDyk said communities west of the reservoirs, such as Katy and Fulshear, will benefit from the releases. "[Water] flows down Buffalo Bayou away from Katy," he said. "So if either of those gates open it does nothing but lower water in the Katy area." The Barker Reservoir gate is near Hwy. 6 and Briar Forest Drive, while the Addicks Reservoir gate is near the Eldridge Parkway and Park Row Drive intersection. When the Harris County Flood Control District told local media about the plan on Sunday, HCFCD meterologist Jeff Lindner said some flooding may still occur in the subdivisions closest to the reservoirs because more water is going into them from rain than is flowing out into Buffalo Bayou. "You do not want any type of failure of these reservoirs, so you have a controlled release where you control the water that is going out of the outlet structure," Lindner said at a press conference. "That water that is going to start being released tonight from Addicks will go down into Buffalo Bayou and on through downtown Houston and out through the Houston ship channel." Lindner did acknowledge that the effects on Buffalo Bayou were unknown, and VanDyk said that the bayou was already breaching its banks in some areas, hence the controlled release. VanDyk said some of the confusion regarding evacuation needs stemmed from a graphic posted by the Fort Bend County Office Emergency Management on social media. Lindner said HCFCD is advising people wait until morning to evacuate if they chose, so as not to have people on the roads in the dark. The FBOEM later posted an evacuation map, which does not show any evacuations needed in the Katy area, as well as a color key for people to better understand the original graphic.