HOUSTON, Texas – NOAA’s National Hurricane Center issued a Public Advisory at 4 p.m. Central Daylight Time on Wednesday, August 30, 2017, due to Tropical Storm Harvey which continues to produce record-breaking rainfall.
Tropical Storm Harvey Strength
Tropical Storm Harvey has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h), with higher gusts.
Harvey is forecast to weaken now that the center has crossed the coast, and the tropical storm is expected to become a tropical depression by tonight.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km) mainly over water to the southeast of the tropical cyclone’s center.
NHC projects that Harvey will have the following wind speeds through this week:
40 MPH (Tropical Storm) Wednesday
35 MPH (Tropical Depression) Thursday
30 MPH (Tropical Depression) Friday
25 MPH (Post-Tropical Depression) Saturday
Tropical Storm Harvey Projected Path
Tropical Storm Harvey is located 50 miles north of
Lake Charles, Louisiana and is moving to the north-northeast at 8 mph (13 km/h).
NHC forecasters say that Harvey is expected to continue north-northwesterly through tonight. A turn toward the northeast is expected Thursday night and Friday.
On the forecast track, the center of Harvey should move through southwestern and central Louisiana tonight, then move through northeastern Louisiana and northwestern Mississippi Thursday and Thursday night.
U.S. WATCHES AND WARNINGS
Catastrophic and life-threatening flooding continues in southeastern Texas and portions of southwestern Louisiana.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Sabine Pass, Texas to Grand Isle, Louisiana.
Tropical Storm Harvey Computer Models
RAINFALL: Harvey is expected to produce additional rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches from southwestern Louisiana and the adjacent border of eastern Texas northeastward into western Tennessee and Kentucky through Friday with isolated amounts up to 12 inches.
The threat of heavy rains has ended in the Houston/Galveston area. However, catastrophic and life threatening flooding will continue in and around Houston, Beaumont/Port Arthur, eastward into southwest Louisiana for the rest of the week.
The expected heavy rains spreading northeastward from Louisiana into western Kentucky may also lead to flash flooding and increased river and small stream flooding.
Elsewhere, the outer bands of Harvey are expected to produce additional rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches over portions of the central and eastern Gulf States and 2 to 4 inches farther north into parts of the Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley and southern Mid Atlantic through Saturday.
STORM SURGE: The water is expected to reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:
San Luis Pass, Texas to Grand Isle…1 to 2 ft
WIND: Tropical storm conditions are occurring over portions of the warning area along the coast and are likely to persist through this evening. Gusts to tropical-storm-force are possible over other portions of southern Louisiana through this evening.
SURF: Swells generated by Harvey are still affecting the coast of Louisiana, but are expected to subside late tonight and Thursday.
TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are possible through this evening across parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, western Alabama, and southeast Arkansas. Additional tornadoes are possible on Thursday afternoon and evening across northern portions of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia into parts of Tennessee.
Image credits: NOAA/NHC/SFWMD
