Storm grows into Texas threat
Harvey expected to bring heavy rain, then linger, spurring fears of flooding
Tropical Depression Harvey churned toward the Texas coast Wednesday, threatening to become the first hurricane to hit the state since Hurricane Ike pounded the region in 2008.
The storm, which continued to gain strength as it moved slowly across the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to bring heavy rains, high winds and a storm surge from South Texas to the Houston area.
The storm could make landfall near Matagorda Island by late Friday, according to early weather service models.
For Houston, the potential for life-threatening flooding remains high, with officials predicting at least 8 to 12 inches, with higher amounts scattered across the area.
“Depending on how quickly that rain falls, we could have major flash flooding in Houston,” said Michael Walter, spokesman for the city’s emergency operations center.
Officials said it’s still too early to tell what the storm may do, but they warned residents to be prepared.
“We’re asking everyone to play it safe,” said Steve Rosa, Brazoria County’s
emergency management coordinator. “Now’s the time to stock up on everything you need in case of an emergency — batteries, radios, food and water.”
Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday pre-emptively declared a state of disaster for 30 counties, including Harris County, based on Harvey’s growing strength and targeted path toward the coast.
Harvey’s main threat, meteorologists said, is its prolonged duration coupled with heavy rainfall.
The storm is projected to move slowly across southeast Texas and then stall while dumping between 10 to 15 inches over the state’s middle and upper coast for about three days, said National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Reilly.
Before it makes landfall, Reilly said the storm is likely to strengthen into a hurricane, bringing winds of 70 mph or higher, along with flooding and possible tornadoes. ‘Still very uncertain’
Emergency crews from Corpus Christi to Houston elevated their readiness levels Wednesday morning after forecasts revealed remnants of Harvey resurged into a tropical depression and continued to intensify. By Wednesday afternoon, the weather service issued tropical storm watches for counties near the coast including Harris, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Victoria and Wharton.
Counties closer to the Gulf are expected to receive the heaviest rain totals and see tides rise on Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued its first-ever storm surge watch for Texas for Calhoun County about 150 miles southwest of Houston, warning of the potential for 4 to 6 feet of water above ground and the possibility of mandatory evacuations.
After the storm makes landfall, it’s expected to hook eastward and slowly hover over Houston through Monday, pouring additional amounts of rain on the region, according to weather and emergency officials.
But officials warn that the storm’s path could change.
“While the track of this storm is still very uncertain, we do know that this will be a significant rain event for our entire area,” said Niki Bender, emergency management coordinator for the city of Galveston. “Residents should prepare their homes for tidal flooding, gusting winds and rains in excess of 15 inches from Friday to Monday.”
One weather service model has the storm arriving late Friday, while another predicts a late Saturday landfall.
“The track could change,” Reilly said. “But once it makes landfall it’s forecast to sit for a while — a recipe for heavy rainfall.”
Emergency crews prepared Wednesday by cramming into emergency meeting rooms, fueling rescue vehicles and staffing their operation centers.
More than two dozen state agencies — including the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Attorney General’s Office — were also prepping Wednesday for a possible hurricane.
“As the State Operations Center increases its readiness levels, I also encourage Texans in the storm’s path to make their own emergency preparations, heed warnings from local officials and avoid high water areas,” Abbott said. Harvey’s resurgence
The last hurricane to hit Texas was Ike in 2008, a catastrophic storm that killed dozens in the state, wreaked billions of dollars in damages and devastated the coasts of Texas and Louisiana with 100 mph winds and a powerful storm surge.
Since then, the Gulf has remained relatively quiet — dubbed by some the “Ghost Coast” for its lack of hurricane activity.
Last week, then-Tropical Storm Harvey appeared to offer little threat to Texas as it moved westward through the Caribbean. It brought heavy rains to northern Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula, but by Saturday had become disorganized and degenerated into a tropical wave.
Once it crossed over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the storm regained speed after hitting the Gulf of Mexico, said Brian Kyle, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
That’s pretty typical behavior for storms, which often lose strength over land but regenerate over warm open water, he said.
Once winds hit 39 mph, the depression will be recategorized as a tropical storm.
Kyle said winds could reach hurricane level — upwards of 70 mph — by the time it reaches the Texas coast. Oil companies on alert
The storm’s resurgence has put oil and gas companies in the Gulf on high alert. Shell, ExxonMobil and Anadarko Petroleum have each announced a reduction of production and personnel in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We are closely monitoring weather updates, determining which of our facilities may potentially be in the path of the storm and preparing those structures,” said Susan Guthrie, ExxonMobil operations media coordinator. “We will evacuate personnel from those offshore facilities expected to be in the path of the storm.”
Regional stores from Walmart to Lowe’s have stocked up on supplies in case of a disastrous storm.
“We’ve got an entire aisle for storm prep as soon as you walk in,” said Dustin Spacey, manager of the Lowe’s in Pearland.
Spacey said the store was fully stocked with pallets of water, charcoal grills, generators, flashlights, batteries and portable air conditioning units.
Spacey said that after the Tax Day Flood of 2016, what he needed most — what people wanted most — was water.