Hurricane Harvey, pumped up by warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is roaring toward an overnight landfall near the major coastal city of Corpus Christi. It is expected to be the strongest storm to hit the United States in more than a decade.
Here's what we know now:
Harvey strengthens
The storm became a Category 2 hurricane early Friday, with winds of 110 mph. It is forecast to strengthen to a Category 3 storm before landfall overnight, falling just a mile-per-hour short of that category now. Harvey could dump up to three feet of rain in some spots in the next week as it lingers over the area, adding to the threat of flash flooding and storm surges.
As of 1 p.m. CDT, the center of Harvey was located 85 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, the National Hurricane Center said. It continues to flirt with Category 3 major hurricane status, with winds of 110 mph and was moving to the northwest at 10 mph.
When is landfall expected?
Harvey is expected to rush ashore late Friday or early Saturday somewhere between Port O’Connor and Matagorda Bay, a 30-mile stretch of coastline about 70 miles northeast of Corpus Christi.
The National Weather Service warned Harvey could regenerate, gaining some strength lost in Texas and heads to Louisiana.
What is the storm's biggest threat?
While a 4-6 foot storm surge and howling, 100 mph or higher winds will be a deadly threat, the storm's biggest concern may eventually turn out to be flooding from days and days of torrential rain. Harvey will stall and spin for the next three to five days, dumping up to 2 feet of rain across the region. Harvey "may be nothing short of a flooding disaster," for Texas, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, who said that some communities could be underwater for days.
Forecasters were already measuring 28-foot-high waves near the eye of the storm.
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