U.S. weather forecasters say Tropical Storm Harvey has strengthened to a hurricane as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico on a path taking it toward the Texas coast.
The National Hurricane Center said Thursday that the storm was now generating winds of 129 kilometers per hour. Forecasters expect Harvey to intensify to a Category 3 storm (on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity) with winds of at least 178 kilometers per hour.
The storm is expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday and at last report, was located about 540 kilometers south-southeast of Port O’Connor, Texas. According to the NHC, total rainfall in some parts of the state could reach 64 centimeters. Weather forecasters also warn that “life-threatening” flooding should be expected, along with storm surges. They say the system could stall inland for about three days.
Residents along the Texas Gulf Coast began preparing for the storm with stacked sandbags, and long lines formed at grocery stores as people stocked up on water and other essentials.
The National Weather Service says a hurricane last made landfall along the southern portion of the Texas coast 14 years ago.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott called on the State Operations Center to heighten its readiness level and make available the resources necessary to conduct search and rescue operations.
He also pre-emptively declared a state of disaster for 30 counties on or near the coast to speed deployment of state resources.