Hurricane Harvey continues to intensify, and as of 8 p.m. EDT / 7 p.m. CDT, it’s now at Category 4 status off the coast of Texas. Harvey is bringing maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, is located about 35 miles east of Corpus Christi, and moving northwest at around 8 mph.
According to The Weather Channel, Harvey will likely be the nation’s first Category 4 landfall in over a decade late Friday or Saturday morning, poised to decimate the Texas Gulf Coast with rainfall flooding, dangerous storm-surge flooding and destructive winds this weekend that could leave parts of the area uninhabitable for an extended period of time.
Eight million people are under hurricane warnings, and nearly 1 million more are under tropical storm warnings.
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Hopefully we won’t have a Hurricane Katrina situation on our hands, a catastrophic storm that hit New Orleans 12 years ago next week, and decimated NOLA and the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
Fox News’s Steve Harrigan is reporting from Corpus Christi at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. local time:
#HurricaneHarvey strengthens to Category 3. https://t.co/H9HB22K1Js pic.twitter.com/zBoAksa0DX
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 25, 2017
Here’s the most recent complete advisory from the National Hurricane Center:
SUMMARY OF 700 PM CDT...0000 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...27.8N 96.8W ABOUT 35 MI...55 KM E OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS ABOUT 50 MI...80 KM SSW OF PORT OCONNOR TEXAS MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...130 MPH...215 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 325 DEGREES AT 8 MPH...13 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...941 MB...27.79 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY: None. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for... * Port Mansfield to High Island Texas A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Port Mansfield to Sargent Texas A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * North of Sargent to High Island Texas A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline in the indicated locations. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov. This is a life-threatening situation. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next few hours. Preparations to protect life and property should already be complete. Interests in southwestern Louisiana should continue to monitor the progress of this system. For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ At 700 PM CDT (0000 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Harvey was located by reconnaissance aircraft and NOAA Doppler radar near latitude 27.8 North, longitude 96.8 West. Harvey is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph (13 km/h), but its forward speed is expected to decrease during the next couple of days. On the forecast track, Harvey will make landfall on the middle Texas coast during the next several hours. Harvey is then likely to meander near or just inland of the middle Texas coast through the weekend. Reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds remain near 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts. Harvey is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Little change in strength is likely before landfall. Weakening is then expected over the weekend while the center moves inland over Texas. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km). A Texas Coastal Ocean Observing Network station at Aransas Pass recently reported sustained winds of 79 mph (128 km/h) and a wind gust of 101 mph (163 km/h). The latest minimum central pressure reported by the Hurricane Hunter aircraft is 941 mb (27.79 inches). HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- RAINFALL: Harvey is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 15 to 30 inches and isolated maximum amounts of 40 inches over the middle and upper Texas coast through next Wednesday. During the same time period Harvey is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 5 to 15 inches in far south Texas and the Texas Hill Country over through southwest and central Louisiana. Rainfall of this magnitude will cause catastrophic and life-threatening flooding. STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water is expected to reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide... Port Aransas to Port O'Connor...9 to 13 ft Elsewhere N Entrance Padre Island Natl Seashore to Sargent...6 to 12 ft Sargent to Jamaica Beach...5 to 8 ft Port Mansfield to N Entrance Padre Island Natl Seashore...3 to 5 ft Jamaica Beach to High Island...2 to 4 ft Mouth of the Rio Grande to Port Mansfield...1 to 3 ft High Island to Morgan City...1 to 3 ft The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the northeast of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office. WIND: Hurricane conditions are occuring along the coast in the Port Aransas area and should spread over other portions of the hurricane warning area during the next several hours. Tropical storm conditions are occurring in other portions of the hurricane and tropical storm warning areas. Tropical storm conditions are likely to persist along portions of the coast through at least Sunday. SURF: Swells generated by Harvey are affecting the Texas, Louisiana, and northeast Mexico coasts. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office. TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are possible through Saturday near the middle and upper Texas coast into far southwestern Louisiana.The next complete advisory will be posted at www.nhc.noaa.gov at 11 p.m. EDT / 10 p.m. CDT (local time).
Here are the most up-to-date Hurricane Harvey network coverage plans for this evening and the weekend:
ABC News:
- World News Tonight anchored by David Muir at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday followed by a live special edition of Nightline at 12:35 a.m. ET as the storm makes landfall.
- ABC News will air a Special Report at 2am ET anchored by Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang in New York. Following the special report Nightline will return live on the west coast with ongoing coverage from the ABC News weather team in the field as well as meteorologist Kait Parker who joins Juju Chang in-studio in NY.
- Good Morning America team will begin live coverage at 5 a.m. ET and a special edition of GMA begins at 7 a.m. ET with anchors Dan Harris and Amy Robach and chief meteorologist Ginger Zee tracking the storm and its impact from NY. GMA live coverage will continue until 11 a.m. ET with correspondents stationed along the storm’s path including senior meteorologist Rob Marciano on the Texas coast south of Houston, correspondents Lana Zak and Victor Oquendo in Houston, senior national correspondent Matt Gutman in Corpus Cristi, correspondents Eva Pilgrim in San Antonio, Clayton Sandell in Austin, and Steve Osunsami in New Orleans.
- In DC, correspondents Gloria Riviera, Mary Bruce and David Kerley will cover the federal response, Presi. Trump and the administration’s response and the impact on travel. Additionally, with the abundance of oil rigs and refineries located within the storm’s path, chief business and economic correspondent Rebecca Jarvis will report on the potential economic impact of the storm’s destruction.
- ABC News Digital will offer full live coverage and analysis of Hurricane Harvey on all ABC News platforms and social sites including a multi-camera live stream along the storm’s path for the next 24 hours with live reports from ABC News correspondents tracking the expected Category 3 storm: www.abcnews.com/live. Live reports will be available on OTT and mobile.
- ABC News Radio will provide live coverage anchored by correspondents Jim Ryan in Corpus Cristi, TX and Ryan Burrow in Houston, TX including one minute Status Reports throughout the storm. ABC News Radio will also provide a four hour live broadcast “Hurricane Harvey: State of Emergency” on Saturday, August 26 from 6-10am ET anchored by correspondent Alex Stone.
- ABC NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, will offer coverage from correspondent Lana Zak and reporter Natasha Barrett from Houston affiliate KTRK for more than 200 ABC affiliates and news partners.
CBS News:
- David Begnaud is reporting from Corpus Christi
- DeMarco Morgan is reporting from Galveston
- Manuel Bojorquez is reporting from Port Lavaca, and Port O’Connor, Texas.
- WBBM-TV meteorologist Megan Glaros is tracking Harvey’s path from Studio 57 and will continue her coverage on CBS This Morning: Saturday
- WCBS-TV chief weathercaster Lonnie Quinn will join CBS This Morning on Monday.
- Tonight’s CBS Evening News will provide the latest on Harvey with reports from in the field and the latest projections of the storm.
- CBSN will have continuous coverage with live updates from CBS News correspondents and CBS News affiliates throughout the day and overnight.
NBC News:
- NBC News and MSNBC have several correspondents on the ground reporting on Hurricane Harvey.
- Gabe Gutierrez, Maya Rodriguez and Catie Beck are in Corpus Christi.
- Dr. John Torres is there as well meeting with medical units and EMS teams.
- Kerry Sanders is in Port Lavaca
- Joe Fryer is in Galveston
- Jacob Rascon and Stephanie Gosk are in Houston.
- Complete coverage will air this weekend on Today, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, and Sunday on Meet the Press with Chuck Todd.
- MSNBC meteorologist Bill Karins will continue to report on the hurricane’s path throughout the weekend.
- NBC News will offer a special report on NBC tonight (Friday) at 8:50 p.m. ET.
- NBC News will offer special reports on NBC on Saturday at 6 a.m., 6:30 a.m., approximately 1:20 p.m. and approximately 2:30 p.m. and as news warrants. (all times Eastern).
- NBC News’ Gadi Schwartz will also be reporting the latest from the ground in Galveston, Texas for Stay Tuned, NBC News’ Snapchat show.