Hurricane Harvey, Texas, August 2017

30 Aug 2017

Category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Friday, August 25, 2017 between Port Aransas and Port O’Conner, Texas. Harvey is not only a strong storm, it is slow moving, dropping over 50  inches of water in some parts of the Houston area and causing devastating flooding. Rescue workers have been overwhelmed by calls for help. Harvey has affected about 6.8 million people in 18 counties. Officials estimate over 30,000 people will be seeking shelter in the coming days.

On Monday the Corp of Engineers performed a controlled release of water from the Adicks Reservoir in northwest Houston and neighboring Barker Reservoir to relieve pressure from the aging levees. Despite the action the Adicks Reservoir was breached on Tuesday, sending water to neighborhoods in Houston and nearby suburbs. The neighboring Barker Reservoir is also in danger of overflow.

Harvey moved out over the Gulf of Mexico after being inland for 48 hours. Here it continued to batter the coast with rain as well as regain some strength.  On Wednesday morning the storm made landfall again near Cameron, LA and is moving to the northeast. Harvey is now a tropical storm but is still dangerous. Flooding has been reported in the Beaumont and Port Arthur area. The National Weather Service warned Wednesday that “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding will continue in and around Houston eastward into southwest Louisiana for the rest of the week.”  The service also warned that “expected heavy rains spreading northeastward from Louisiana into western Kentucky may also lead to flash flooding” across those areas.

FEMA officials said they expect more than 450,000 Harvey victims to file for assistance.

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