Harvey update- Tuesday evening
At 400 PM CDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Harvey wasestimated from data from an Air Force reconnaissance plane nearlatitude 29.2 North, longitude 94.3 West. Harvey is moving towardthe north-northeast near 6 mph (9 km/h), and this general motion isexpected to continue tonight and tomorrow. On the forecast track,the broad circulation center of Harvey is expected to move inlandover the northwestern Gulf Coast within the tropical storm warningarea by early Wednesday.Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts.No significant change in strength is anticipated before the centercrosses the coast, but gradual weakening should begin thereafter.Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles (260 km)from the center. Galveston recently reported a sustained wind of39 mph and a gust to 54 mph.The minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force reconnaissanceplane was 994 mb (29.36 inches).Catastrophic and life-threatening flooding continues in southeasternTexas and portions of southwestern Louisiana. RAINFALL: Harvey is expected to produce additional rainfallaccumulations of 6 to 12 inches to the north and east of Houstonfrom far east Texas into southwestern Louisiana. Isolated stormtotals will reach 50 inches over the upper Texas coast, includingthe Houston/Galveston metropolitan area. These rains are currentlyproducing catastrophic and life-threatening flooding over largeportions of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. DO NOTATTEMPT TO TRAVEL IN THE AFFECTED AREA IF YOU ARE IN A SAFE PLACE.DO NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED ROADWAYS. Please see warnings andproducts issued by your local National Weather Service office foradditional information on this life-threatening situation.Elsewhere, Harvey is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 5to 10 inches across portions of southern Louisiana into coastalMississippi and Alabama. Rainfall associated with Harvey will spreadnorth by mid to late week, with rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inchesspreading into portions of Arkansas and the Tennessee Valley.A preliminary report from a rain gauge has broken the Texas tropicalcyclone rainfall record. The Cedar Bayou gauge, east of Highlands,Texas, has reported 51.88 inches of rain as of 3 PM CDT. This totalis higher than the previous record of 48 inches set during tropicalcyclone Amelia of 1978 at Medina, Texas.A list of rainfall observations compiled by the NOAA WeatherPrediction Center can be found at:www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/nfdscc1.htmlSTORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and thetide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded byrising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water isexpected to reach the following heights above ground if the peaksurge occurs at the time of high tide…Holly Beach to Morgan City…2 to 4 ftSan Luis Pass to west of Holly Beach including Galveston Bay…1 to3 ftThe deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near thearea of onshore winds. Surge-related flooding depends on therelative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can varygreatly over short distances. For information specific to yourarea, please see products issued by your local National WeatherService forecast office.WIND: Tropical storm conditions are occurring over portions ofthe warning area along the coast and are likely to persistduring the next day or so. Tropical storms conditions arepossible within the watch area within the next 24 hours.SURF: Swells generated by Harvey are still affecting the coasts ofTexas and Louisiana. These swells are likely to causelife-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consultproducts from your local weather office.TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are possible today from extremesoutheast Texas across parts of southern Louisiana, coastalMississippi and coastal Alabama.
