What To Know About Harvey, The Major Hurricane That's Threatening Historic Flooding In Texas
A vast hurricane is gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico as it slowly approaches the coast of Texas, threatening historic flooding. Here's what you need to know about Hurricane Harvey.
Harvey Is Projected To Make Landfall Late Friday Night Or Early Saturday Morning
The storm, which is composed of the remnants of a tropical storm that battered the Caribbean last week, was reclassified as a hurricane this afternoon.
Harvey is rapidly strengthening and is forecast to become a Category 3 hurricane with winds of at least 111 mph by the time it hits the middle Texas coast late Friday or early Saturday, the hurricane center said Thursday. After hitting Corpus Christi, the storm is expected to stall over the state, forecasters say.
Hurricane-force winds are a concern as the storm builds strength in the Gulf of Mexico, and a potential deluge and subsequent flooding may be a big danger as well, according to meteorologists.
[CNN]
There's even a chance that Harvey could reach Category 4, meaning a hurricane with winds going between 130 and 156 mph, by the time it reaches land.
Harvey Threatens To Be The Strongest Hurricane To Hit America In Almost 12 Years
No hurricane has struck Texas since Hurricane Ike in 2008. But you have to go back even further than that to find another hurricane that compares to Harvey in strength and danger.
This would be the nation's first Category 3 or stronger hurricane landfall since Hurricane Wilma stuck south Florida in October 2005, an almost 12-year run.
Harvey may also be the strongest landfall in this area known as the Texas Coastal Bend since the infamous Category 3 Hurricane Celia hammered the Corpus Christi area in August 1970 with wind gusts up to 161 mph, damaging almost 90 percent of the city's businesses and 70 percent of its residences and destroying two hangars at the city's airport.
The Coastal Bend hasn't seen a Category 4 landfall since Hurricane Carla in September 1961 produced catastrophic damage from storm surge and high winds in Port O'Connor and Palacios, Texas, among other locations.
The Threat Of Flooding Is Exacerbated By The Fact That Harvey Is Moving So Slowly
What's particularly dangerous about Harvey is that it's projected to stall over land, resulting in potentially devastating flooding as the storm system takes its time moving along.
The event may be nothing short of a flooding disaster.
"Since Harvey is forecast to stall, we expect 10-20 inches of rain over a large part of southern and eastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana from Friday into early next week," according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski. "At the local level, more than 2 feet of rain may fall."
This amount of rain will lead to widespread flooding of streets, highways, bayous, streams and major rivers.
Here's the National Hurricane Center's latest projection for rainfall in Harvey's path.
New Orleans is a particular area of concern for flooding due to a pumping system that has failed in recent weeks.
If the storm were to reach New Orleans, the impact could be particularly troubling. The city is still recovering from flooding this month after a severe thunderstorm made much of the city impassable because a turbine that powered the majority of the city's pumping systems failed on Aug. 9.
The turbine was fixed and back in service, New Orleans said on its website, adding that the city would be able to "handle typical rainfall." The East Bank of New Orleans remained "at risk in the event of a major rainstorm until additional turbines are brought back online," the city said.
The National Weather Service Has Issued Its First-Ever Storm Surge Warning For Harvey
People who live near coastal areas are in danger of flooding from rising ocean water, as low pressure and high winds combine to create a storm surge.
The Hurricane Center predicts 6 to 12 feet of water — above normally dry land — inundating coastal areas immediately to the east and north of the landfall location. That amount is based on the assumption that Harvey makes landfall as a Category 3 hurricane. But the surge could be even higher (or lower) if the storm is stronger (or weaker) and will be adjusted as the forecast evolves. It is critical that affected residents heed evacuation orders.
Keep in mind that the timing of normal astronomical tides is a factor. If the highest storm surge arrives at or near high tide, the total "storm tide" will be maximized. As the timing of landfall is pinned down, forecasts of the storm tide timing and depth will be improved as well.
Texas' Governor Has Issued A State Of Emergency In Preparation For Harvey
Gov. Greg Abbot declared a state of emergency for 30 counties in Harvey's path. Meanwhile, the coast town of Port Aransas has ordered a mandatory evacuation, and Houston has preemptively canceled the first day of school, which was supposed to take place on Monday.
"Texans believe in taking action and always being prepared in the event of an emergency," Abbott said in a statement. "That is why I am taking every precaution prior to Tropical Depression Harvey making landfall. Preemptively declaring a state of disaster will allow Texas to quickly deploy resources for the emergency response effort in anticipation of the storm's hazardous conditions."
[NBC News]
For up-to-date forecasts and recommendations related to Hurricane Harvey, check out the National Hurricane Center's website.