Tropical Storm Harvey- 4 PM Monday Update
At 400 PM CDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Harvey waslocated near latitude 28.5 North, longitude 95.7 West. Harvey ismoving toward the east-southeast near 3 mph (6 km/h), and a slowmotion toward the southeast is expected through tonight. A gradualturn toward the northeast and a continued slow forward speed areexpected Tuesday and Tuesday night. On the forecast track, thecenter of Harvey is expected to be just offshore of the middle andupper coasts of Texas through Tuesday night, then move inland overthe northwestern Gulf coast on Wednesday.Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts.Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours.Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km)from the center. The National Ocean Service automated station atthe Matagorda Bay entrance recently reported sustained winds of46 mph (74 km/h) and a wind gust of 57 mph (92 km/h).The minimum central pressure estimated from surface observationsalong the Texas coast is 997 mb (29.44 inches).HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND———————-RAINFALL: Harvey is expected to produce additional rainfallaccumulations of 10 to 20 inches through Thursday over parts of theupper Texas coast into southwestern Louisiana. Isolated stormtotals may reach 50 inches over the upper Texas coast, including theHouston/Galveston metropolitan area. These rains are currentlyproducing catastrophic and life-threatening flooding over largeportions of southeastern Texas. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL IN THEAFFECTED AREA IF YOU ARE IN A SAFE PLACE. DO NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODEDROADWAYS. Please see warnings and products issued by your localNational Weather Service office for additional information on thislife-threatening situation.Elsewhere, Harvey is expected to produce total rain accumulations of5 to 15 inches farther south into the middle Texas coast and farthereast across south-central Louisiana. Rainfall amounts of 5 to 10inches are expected in southeast Louisiana.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…Port Aransas to Morgan City including Galveston Bay…1 to 3 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 in rain bands well tothe east of the center of Harvey, and along the coast to thesouthwest of the center. Tropical storm conditions are likely topersist within the warning area during the next couple of days.SURF: Swells generated by Harvey are affecting the coasts of Texasand Louisiana. These swells are likely to cause life-threateningsurf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from yourlocal weather office.TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are possible through Tuesday acrosssouthern Louisiana and extreme southeast Texas.
