Tropical Storm Harvey is strengthening as it barrels toward the Gulf Coast, where it will likely hit late Friday as a hurricane. Harvey was upgraded about 11 p.m. Wednesday from a tropical depression to a tropical storm, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a…
Tropical Storm Harvey is strengthening as it heads toward the Gulf Coast, where it is expected to hit late Friday as a hurricane.
The last hurricane to strike Texas was Ike in 2008.
Harvey was upgraded late Wednesday to a tropical storm, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a slew of hurricane and tropical storm warnings up and down the Texas coast.
A tropical storm warning is in effect through Saturday for Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty and Wharton counties.
Brazoria County is also under a storm surge warning. Chambers, Galveston and Harris are under storm surge watches.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Jackson and Matagorda counties.
Tropical Storm Harvey – which was upgraded about 11 p.m. Wednesday from a tropical depression – was over the south central Gulf of Mexico on Thursday morning, according to the NWS.
It is becoming faster and better organized as it moves northwest towards the Texas coast.
The tropical storm, which now has winds at 45 miles per hour, is expected to become a hurricane by Friday morning, with winds upwards of 75 miles per hour, said NWS meteorologist Brian Kyle.
Thursday morning, the storm was moving toward the Gulf Coast at 10 miles per hour. It is expected to hit the Gulf Coast on Friday, between Corpus Cristi and Matagorda Bay.
Tropical storm-force winds could hit Brazoria County’s coastline as early as Friday afternoon, and continue through Saturday.
Houstonians are more likely to experience heavy rainfall and flooding.
There is a low-to-moderate chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms hitting the Houston area early Friday, as the outer bands of the storm hit the coast, according to the NWS.
Gusty winds – mostly below tropical storm speeds – will hit the Houston area Saturday morning and continue through the afternoon.
Houston residents who live south of Interstate 10 could see upwards of 20 inches of rain between Thursday and early next week, Kyle said.
“It’s not all going to fall in a single day, ” Kyle said. “Totals are going to gradually add up.”
Rainfall totals will be between 10 and 20 inches for the rest of the Houston area.
Galveston County officials are encouraging residents to prep for supplies for up to three days, should they be unable to leave their houses, said Brittany Viegas, spokeswoman for the county.
“People need to be prepared to be stuck in homes with flooding and being stuck in homes without power, ” Viegas said.
Viegas added the county judge may call Thursday for a voluntary evacuation of the Bolivar Peninsula, as Highway 87 often becomes impassable after storms.
Isolated tornadoes may form within Tropical Storm Harvey’s outer rain and storm bands. According to the NWS, the odds tornadoes will form will increase through Saturday afternoon.
