Five hours after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas around 10 p.m.
as a Category 4 storm, it was downgraded to a Category 2 storm, with
maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, a decrease from 130 mph when it made
landfall.
And Harvey was downgraded to a Category 3 storm around 1 a.m., after winds decreased to 125 mph.
Harvey also made a second landfall on the northeastern shore of Copano Bay around the time it was downgraded to Category 3.
The storm is the strongest to hit the state in decades, with
catastrophic flooding expected. The last Category 4 storm to hit the
U.S. was Charley in 2004 in Florida, while the last Category 4 storm to
hit Texas was Carla in 1961.
Residents staying in the area frantically stocked up on food, water and
gas, while others heading out of the storm's path boarded up windows and
doors of their homes and businesses.
Airlines canceled flights, schools were shuttered while concerts and
other planned events in Houston and coastal cities were postponed.
The hurricane's effects are expected to linger for days, with heavy
rainfall through next week estimated to be as high as 40 inches in some
areas.
"This is going to be a storm we talk about, unfortunately, for at least
the next seven days," ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee said
Friday on "GMA."
Here's what we know about the storm.
What's ahead
Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane over the northern end of
San Jose Island between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor at 10 p.m. local
time Friday, with sustained winds of about 130 mph and stronger gusts,
according to the National Weather Service. At the time, the storm's eye
was 30 miles away from the coastal city of Corpus Christi, Texas.
The National Weather Service warned Harvey could bring a potentially
devastating storm surge, heavy rainfall and wind hazards to the Lone
Star State's coast. A tornado watch is in effect for areas of
southeastern Texas and southwest Louisiana.
Life-threatening storm surge waters could reach 9 to 13 feet above
ground level. Catastrophic flooding is expected across parts of the
area. And rainfall will be heavy, with an estimated 15 to 30 inches of
rain falling in many areas and as high as 40 inches in some from today
through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
Here's a projected timeline for Hurricane Harvey thus far, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service:
Saturday: Harvey roared ashore late Friday evening. The
storm's path going forward remains uncertain but it is forecast to
meander near or just inland of the middle of the Texas coast through the
weekend.
Sunday through Monday: Some forecast models show Harvey expanding across the Gulf Coast as it makes its way over southern Texas.
Tuesday through Wednesday: The hurricane could,
according to some models, move northeast and then re-emerge briefly over
the Gulf of Mexico before making a second landfall in northeastern
Texas or western Louisiana.
Preparation and evacuations
Storm preparation began in earnest on Wednesday and intensified on
Thursday. Shoppers lined up to fill their carts with food and water,
while lines for gas stretched out of many stations. Some people also got
to work boarding up their homes and businesses to protect against the
expected 100-plus mile per hour winds. Even the Texas Department of
Transportation in Victoria boarded up its windows on Thursday.
As of Friday, governors had declared states of emergencies for 30 counties in Texas and statewide for Louisiana.
Corpus Christi resident Alex Garcia bought bottled water, bread and
other basic grocery items in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land because
they were likely more available there than back home, where stores were
"crazy," he told The Associated Press.
And as Houston resident Bill Pennington prepared his one-story home for
another deluge in the flood-prone city, the father told The Associated
Press he comforted his nervous 9-year-old son by saying, "We know how to
handle it. We'll handle it again."
The Coast Guard said Thursday it was sending shallow-depth vessels to
Texas and Louisiana that are capable of responding in flooded urban
areas. And with gale force winds predicted to arrive within 24 hours,
the Coast Guard on Thursday also ordered a nearly total closure of ports in Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Freeport and Corpus Christi.
By Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard had already completed its first
search-and-rescue mission, rescuing 12 people from a 160-foot vessel
near Port Mansfield, Texas.
Texas officials announced mandatory evacuations for all seven counties
on the coast: Calhoun County, San Patricio County, Refugio County,
Brazoria County, Jackson County, Victoria County and Matagorda County.
In four of those countries, officials ordered their entire county to
evacuate and warned those who chose to stay behind that their rescue
could not be guaranteed. Voluntary evacuations were urged for residents
in other areas.
While a mandatory evacuation order is not in place for Corpus Christi,
Mayor Joe McComb did advise residents to voluntarily evacuate ahead of
the storm.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long urged
people in the path of the storm to heed warnings and to take evacuation
orders seriously.
"This may be the first major landfall hurricane we've had since 2005,"
Long said in an interview on "Good Morning America" Friday. "So there's
going to be damage."
As of Friday morning, FEMA had amassed more than 96,000 liters of water,
306,000 meals and 4,500 tarps at incident support bases in Seguin and
Fort Worth, Texas, as well as in Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, should the
states need them.
Storm preparations have extended to New Orleans, where FEMA said it's
working to make sure the Louisiana city's pumps are functioning in
anticipation of the seven to 10 inches of rainfall expected there. The
National Guard is also readying 500,000 sandbags, FEMA said.
More than 120,000 people have lost power in the Corpus Christi area as a result of Hurricane Harvey so far.
How officials are responding
Politicians and officials have taken a proactive approach to the storm.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday night that he had discussed storm
preparation with President Donald Trump, as well as with the heads of
FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. On Friday, Abbott sent a
letter to Trump requesting a presidential disaster declaration in
anticipation of Hurricane Harvey.
“Granting this request will provide Texans the additional resources
needed to protect themselves, their property and rebuild their lives if
necessary after Hurricane Harvey,” Abbott said in a statement.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at the press briefing
Friday afternoon that Trump is planning to visit Texas "early next
week."
Many state and local officials have urged residents to pay attention to
evacuation orders, as it will be too late to leave once the storm hits.
source : ABC news