Live Updates: Hurricane Harvey Makes Landfall In Texas Causing Widespread Damage

Hurricane Harvey is expected to bring torrential rains and powerful winds to Texas. Forecasters warned that the storm may cause some areas to be "uninhabitable for weeks or months."

Here's What We Know:

Hurricane Harvey strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico prior to bearing down on southeast Texas Friday night as a powerful Category 4, but was later downgraded to Category 3 as it slowed overland.
Forecasters say the storm will batter the Texas coast with "life-threatening" storm surge, rainfall, and winds.
Storm surge of up to 13 feet is also expected in areas near where the storm makes landfall.
After Harvey moves inland, it is expected to stall over the state, dumping up to 40 inches of rain in parts of southeastern Texas.
Overnight, there were already reports of severe damage to buildings and reports of injuries trickling in.
President Trump on Friday approved Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's request to declare a federal disaster as Harvey approached the state.

Updates

Harvey makes landfall in Texas, causing flooding and damage to buildings

Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Rockport, Texas, Friday night, the National Hurricane Center announced, making it the strongest storm to strike the continental US in more than a decade.

After slowing down over southeast Texas, the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 3, with sustained winds of about 125 mph. Still, officials warned that the system was expected to cause "catastrophic flooding" due to heavy rainfall and a storm surge.

Already coastal communities were reporting widespread damage to buildings, and in the form of flooding, downed trees and road signs.

In Rockport, businesses and a high school were heavily damaged, and dozens of people had to be evacuated from the Fairfield Inn, according to the National Weather Service.

Rockport City Manager Kevin Carruth told KIII 3 News that the roof at a senior housing complex had also collapsed, briefly trapping some while others were taken to a local jail for assessment and treatment. The city's courthouse was also been severely damaged.

In Corpus Christi, officials warned residents that Harvey threatened the local water supply and urged people to boil their water prior to washing hands, brushing teeth, drinking, and other forms of consumption.

Meanwhile, a map from electricity provider AEP Texas showed thousands of customers had already experienced power outages in the region on Friday.

—Zahra Hirji and Jason Wells

Trump declares a major disaster for Texas

As the strong winds and heavy rain from Hurricane Harvey started pounding the Texas coast on Friday night, President Trump announced that he had declared a major disaster for the state. This move frees up federal funds to help the state respond to the disaster.

Federal aid will be available to areas impacted by the storm starting August 23, and go towards supporting individuals, state and local governments, and some private nonprofits in at least six counties, according to the White House.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had sent a letter earlier in the day asking Trump to issue a presidential disaster declaration for the state.

"I want to thank the President and FEMA for their quick response in granting this disaster declaration," Abbott said in a statement. "We will continue to work with our federal and local partners on all issues relating to this storm, an I encourage Texans to continue heeding all warnings from local officials."

—Zahra Hirji

Harvey strengthens to a Category 4 hurricane

Hurricane Harvey strengthened into a Category 4 on Friday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center announced. The storm has sustained winds of 130 mph, and is 45 miles off the coast of Texas.

It is expected to make landfall "in the next few hours," NHC hurricane specialist Eric Blake told BuzzFeed News.

Such strong winds can severely damage roofs and the exterior walls of homes, as well as snap or uproot trees. They can also down power poles, possibly resulting in power outages lasting weeks to months.

The last Category 4 hurricane to hit the US was Charley back in 2004, which walloped Florida. Texas hasn't been struck by a Category 4 since 1961, however. That's when Hurricane Carla resulted in 46 deaths and more than 460 injuries.

—Zahra Hirji

Hurricane Harvey keeps getting stronger

The storm approaching the Texas coastline now has sustained winds of 125 mph, according to a new National Hurricane Center advisory. That's up from 120 mph a few hours ago.

But the winds could be even stronger in certain locations, reaching up to 145 mph. To that end, the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi issued a strongly-worded extreme wind warningfor five counties in south and south central Texas: Calhoun, Aransas, Nueces, San Patricio, and Refugio.

"TAKE COVER NOW! Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to the safe room in your shelter," the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi warned. "Take action now to protect your life!"

The rain predictions for Harvey have also gone up. Certain places could see up to 40 inches during the storm's duration.

"We do anticipate the threat for 15 to 30 inches of rainfall. We could see some locally higher amounts, up to 40 inches in some of these areas,” Daniel Porter from the US National Weather Service said in a video announcement. “It looks like the heaviest rainfall is going to be focused in that corridor between San Antonio, Houston, as well as Corpus Christi.”

—Zahra Hirji

A close-up look at the eye of Harvey as the storm approaches the Texas coast

Trump's message to Texans: "Good luck to everybody"

As he headed off to Camp David for the weekend, an OANN reporter asked Trump, "Do you have a message for the people of Texas?"

"Good luck to everybody," Trump replied, while giving a thumbs up.

— Tasneem Nashrulla

Harvey is now a Category 3 hurricane

Harvey strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on Friday afternoon with sustained winds of 120 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. Now a major storm, Harvey is about 85 miles off Texas coast.

Officials expect the storm will make landfall tonight or Saturday morning. Corpus Christi and other parts of the coast are already experiencing 1-2 feet of storm surge.

—Zahra Hirji

Trump plans to visit Texas next week, White House says

The president plans to visit Texas next week to survey the damage from Hurricane Harvey, press secretary Sarah H. Sanders said in Friday's briefing.

In a separate statement, the White House said Trump "continues to closely monitor" the hurricane and response efforts of local, state, and federal officials.

"This storm will likely be very destructive for several days," the White House said, adding that Trump encourages residents in the path of the storm to heed orders from local and state officials.

"The President’s highest priority is the safety of the public and of first responders," it said. "Those who ignore evacuation orders could be putting both themselves and first responders in danger."

— Tasneem Nashrulla

Texas governor warns: "This is going to be a very major disaster"

"This hurricane is going to prove more dangerous than many other hurricanes," Abbott said, adding that multiple regions across Texas will be dealing with "high winds and immense record-setting flooding."

Abbott said that he has requested a presidential disaster declaration to obtain additional help from the federal government.

"We can tell this is going to be a very major disaster," he said.

The governor strongly urged Texans to evacuate areas that have been declared evacuation zones or situated in low-lying areas between Corpus Christi and Houston.

Abbott also warned residents to be vigilant about tornadoes, which are expected to spawned by the hurricane in the coming days.

Abbott said that the hurricane will make landfall and "hover for a long period of time" over the state, warning that residents will be dealing with rain and flooding for "a week or two."

—Tasneem Nashrulla

Residents in southeast Texas warned to expect power outages up to a week

Officials from Corpus Christi, one of the largest Texas cities bracing for Hurricane Harvey, just warned its residents to expect power outages from the storm lasting between three to seven days.

"Please be patient," Loyd Neal, a county judge and former mayor of Corpus Christi, said about the expected power outages at a press conference on Friday afternoon. "Plan for it to be off 48 hours or longer."

Neal urged residents to take the storm seriously. Referencing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he said, “We don’t like to have the kind of results we saw when the storm hit New Orleans.”

City officials have encouraged residents, especially those in low-lying areas, to evacuate. It’s unknown how many people have left so far. Flights coming in and out of Corpus City International Airport on Friday have been canceled. Some airlines also canceled flights through the weekend.

Both Texas senators pledged support to help Corpus Christi, and the surrounding region, with federal support once the storm rolls in. According to city officials, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has hundreds of troops on standby to come in and help respond when needed.

—Zahra Hirji

New Hurricane Harvey danger: Border Patrol checkpoints

Immigrant advocates worried Friday that the Border Patrol's decision to keep its immigration checkpoints open in southeast Texas would discourage undocumented immigrants from fleeing Hurricane Harvey for fear of deportation.

Motorists are asked if they are US citizens at the checkpoints. BuzzFeed News previously has reported that the checkpoints make undocumented immigrants feel trapped because they can’t cross them without risking being stopped, arrested, and deported. Some immigrants avoid crucial medical care because of the checkpoints.

“By keeping checkpoints open, the Border Patrol is putting undocumented people and mixed-status families at risk out of fear of deportation," Lorella Praeli, the ACLU's director of immigration policy and campaigns, said in a statement. “This is a disgusting move from the Border Patrol that breaks with past practices. The Border Patrol should never keep checkpoints open during any natural disasters in the United States. Everyone, no matter the color of their skin or background, is worth saving.”

In a separate statement to the Texas Tribune, which first reported on the issue, the agency said it would keep the checkpoints open "unless there is a danger to the safety of the traveling public and our agents."

Read the full story here.

—Adolfo Flores

President Trump is closely monitoring Harvey as the storm approaches Texas

The president also said that he has spoken with both Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/901108572041433089

—Jessica Simeone

Hurricane Harvey is about to be the strongest to slam into the US in more than a decade

A rapidly intensifying hurricane that is forecast to be the most powerful to strike the US in more than a decade is taking aim at Texas, threatening to blast the state with strong winds, life-threatening storm surge, and torrential rainfall.

Hurricane Harvey had strengthened into a Category 2 storm by the early hours of Friday morning in the Gulf of Mexico, and forecasters say it could strike southeast Texas as a Category 3 storm with 125 mph sustained winds.

The fast-developing Harvey "is an example of the kinds of storms that keeps weather forecasters awake at night," Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told BuzzFeed News.

Source www.buzzfeed.com

MY LIFE MY RULES

Поиск по этому блогу