Tropical Storm Harvey is building up strength in the Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane may be on our hands, and it’s headed to Texas and Louisiana, where it is predicted to do a lot of flooding with massive amounts of rain and 80 mph winds.
Update (8/25/17; 8:29 P.M.): Hurricane Harvey has seriously picked up. The storm has upped the ante to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds as high as 130 mph. Gusts of winds have been reported to be as high as 155 mph.
Update (8/27/17; 10:45 P.M.): Massive flooding has reached Houston and many areas of southeast Texas, with 20 inches of rain hitting some areas. However, the hurricane has since dwindled from a Category 2, with sustained winds of 110 mph. More flooding and rainfall is expected into Wednesday, with meteorologists predicting 50 inches of rainfall. Three deaths have already been reported along with 12 injuries.
Update (8/29/17; 7:52 P.M.): Harvey is officially a tropical storm. However, that doesn’t downplay the danger. An incredible amount of flooding has been reported in the Houston area. There are now 14 official causalities of the storm, including a family of six and a Houston police officer.
Update (9/5/17; 1:34 P.M.): The death toll of Hurricane Harvey has increased to at least 60 causalities as a direct result of the storm.
Officials are expecting up to 20 inches of rain in eastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, starting Friday (August 25) up until the beginning of next week. As a result of the impending storm, Portland, Texas, is already being evacuated.
Corpus Christi Mayor, Joe McComb, just announced that a voluntary evacuation is highly encouraged especially if you are in a low-lying area.
— H-E-B Prepared (@HEBPrepared) August 24, 2017
Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell have also evacuated their employees.
Flights in-and-out of the area have been cancelled and delayed. Gas stations are currently running out of gas as people are attempting to escape the path of the hurricane.
Hurricane Harvey Path
On Thursday, Hurricane Harvey can be found in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s been predicted that the storm will be into Texas by Friday, and will advance even more as it enters Louisiana. Flooding is expected in both states. The current speed of the hurricane is 80 mph.
San Patricio County issues mandatory evacuation https://t.co/VEEaYZrMpS via @callerdotcom #HurricaneHarvey #RGV
— Teddy Wilson (@reportbywilson) August 24, 2017
School Closures
Schools in Houston have been closed in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey. Districts are announcing closures for public schools, community colleges, and universities.
Hurricane Harvey school closures in Houston: Districts already announcing closures https://t.co/Dwd7vFuhFZ via @houstonchron
— Andrew Blankstein (@anblanx) August 24, 2017
Here’s a short list of some of the schools that will be closing down as a result of the storm.
All campuses closed Friday, August 25, 2017 due to impending weather are:
Alvin ISD
Angleton ISD
BISD
CBISD— Brazoria County (@BrazoriaCounty) August 24, 2017
