As Harvey is forecast to stall near the central Texas coast, and the circulation around hurricanes is counterclockwise, locations like Freeport, Galveston, Galveston Bay and Bolivar Peninsula will observe days of strong onshore winds. -Tropical -Find It Quick, Tropical Harvey may then stall or meander for a few days, leading to a dangerous flood threat in parts of Texas and Louisiana. -StormReady -FAQ, Rivers/Lakes/Bayous -Public Information Statement UPDATE (August 25, 10:15 PM EST): Hurricane Harvey has become a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of over 130 miles per hour.The storm is due to make landfall near the town of Rockport, Texas, sometime tonight. As a tropical storm, Harvey dropped 40-61 inches of rainfall in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Hurricane Ike’s 15- to 17-foot storm surge and waves swept hundreds of homes off Texas’ Bolivar Peninsula in 2008. In some places these storm surges were expected to be more than 9 feet (2.7m) high. This area observed hyperactive hurricane strikes and severe storm surges in the late 1800s, but nothing of that magnitude since 1898. Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge drowned New Orleans. Please try another search. -Evacuation Routes Harvey is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Freeport has a 3.5 ft storm surge. and the first major (category 3 or better) hurricane to hit Texas since Bret in 1999. -more, PREPAREDNESS/SAFETY The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated total damage at $125 billion, with a 90% confidence interval of $90–160 billion. -Twitter But none of them have occurred since Hurricane Allen struck 37 years ago. Powerful winds aren’t the only deadly force during a hurricane. However, this is just the beginning of a saga that could last the better part of a week. Harvey is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane in this region with maximum sustained wind speeds exceeding 110 mph and a storm surge of 6-12 feet. -Historical Tracks Maximum storm surge heights along the western Gulf Coast during Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Sandy’s surge inundated New York City and New Jersey. -Feed Hurricane #Harvey continues to pound #PortLavaca #Texas with wind and storm surge. The estimate also includes gross losses accrued to the National … -NOAA Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas on Sunday as a Category 5 storm, pummeling parts of the Great Abaco and Grand Bahama islands with heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding of up to 23 feet of water. Additionally, you have many other processes affecting water levels during a storm or hurricane. The maximum recorded water level from a NOAA Tides and Currents gauge was observed at Port Lavaca, where surge levels exceeded 6 ft. Harvey has generated the highest storm surge at Port Lavaca since Hurricane Carla (1961). -Major Events, RADAR Much of that flooding comes from the storm surge, which isn't reflected in the measurement of a hurricane's intensity, though it is a major cause of damage and danger. -SKYWARN Schedule Once we truly understand our risks, widespread support for coastal protection rapidly increase and funding these projects follows. -National Hurricane Center -Education I hope I can access email on my phone and you can contact me at hal@marineweatherandclimate.com. Galveston Bay area received 1 to 4 ft rises. -Web Weather for Kids -Local Data/Records Corpus Christi, the largest city along the southern part of the central Texas coast, shares a disturbing history of hurricanes and storm surges. -Marine -Education Long periods of relative calm often lead us to underestimate our risk. Hurricane Carla (1961) made landfall in the Port Lavaca region, but generated several powerful tornadoes that caused substantial damage in Galveston. Harvey was then downgraded to a tropical wave which entered the Gulf of Mexico on the 22nd. -Austin/San Antonio The highest storm surge found due to Hurricane Harvey was an 8.4 ft surge near Palacios. This resulted in a storm surge of up to 12 feet that affected Port Aransas and western Aransas county. Forecast rainfall totals from Hurricane Havey through Thursday. -National The official National Hurricane Center track and intensity forecast depicts Harvey tracking towards the Texas coast by Friday evening, and then stalling for, The destructive force of storm surge was on clear display this weekend as Hurricane Matthew ripped across the Caribbean, Florida and the Carolinas. Both were large, powerful storms that hit in vulnerable locations. Hurricane Laura was barreling towards the coast of the southern US states of Louisiana and Texas on Wednesday as a monster Category 4 storm, prompting warnings of "unsurvivable" storm surge and evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents. Hurricane Harvey: What is a storm surge and why is it dangerous? However, Harvey’s storm surge level in this area is not as rare as we might believe, and it may come in fifth place for all surges since 1919. Even before that, Hurricane Rita in 2005 caused $25 billion in damage to the region. This RMS estimate represents the insured losses associated with wind, storm surge, and inland flood damage, across Texas and Louisiana only. Stay safe, much love, and thanks for reading! Storm surge levels closest to Harvey’s center of circulation will be highly variable, depending upon wind direction. Harvey dumped more rain on the United States than any previous hurricane. CoreLogic: Hurricane Harvey Storm Surge Could Impact 200,000 Texas Homes Stolen Impressionist Classic Turns Up at Museum Exhibit Viewpoint: The Case of the $2 Million Violin Here are Flood Damage Assessment Images from the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). -College Station National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The storm’s center was “inching its way inland,” National Hurricane Center forecaster Daniel Brown said Wednesday morning. Harvey has developed an organized inner core and is in an environment favorable for strengthening. -Forecast Discussion The lowest observed pressure on land was 940.8 mb reported by a storm chaser in Rockport at 0331 UTC 26 August. Hurricane Laura Savage Storm Surge A car drives under an ominous rain cloud from tropical storm Marco as locals prepare for the arrival of hurricane Laura near Lake Charles, Louisiana. For some in New York, it may have brought back memories of Sandy, another destructive October storm that broke flood records and upended the region. As Hurricane Harvey, with Category 4 force winds, bears down on the Texas Gulf Coast there is expected to be a catastrophic “storm surge,” posing a risk to over 230,000 homes, including mobile homes and manufactured homes, in the storm region, according to analysis by Core Logic that measures exposure to damage from “storm surge.” I’ve Lived Through Tropical Storms. However, this is just the beginning of a saga that could last the better part of a week. AIR Worldwide, a risk modeling company, estimated Monday that insured losses from just the winds and storm surge … -Weather Radio Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, as a Category 4 hurricane yesterday evening. -Harris County Flood Warning System As Harvey moved inland, it’s forward motion slowed to near 5mph after landfall and then meandered just north of Victoria, TX by the 26th. -Lower Colorado River Authority -Spaceflight Meteorology Group, CURRENT WEATHER Harvey is a classic example of why we need to know our hurricane history. -Corpus Christi That’s more than any other natural disaster in U.S. history except Hurricane Katrina . Please Contact Us. Sustained surface winds are currently at 45 MPH, but strengthening is forecast. Hurricane Harvey likely generated a storm tide of 10-12 feet near Port Lavaca, although the highest observed level reported was 7 feet above mean sea level. The last hurricane to make landfall in the state was Hurricane Ike in 2008. What’s exceptionally rare about Harvey is that this storm surge will combine with a stalling storm and tremendous rainfall, which will generate catastrophic flooding. Surge could be recorded as far as 30 miles inland. Approximately 69%, 46 out of the 67 points, reached major flood stage, and approximately 46%, 31 points out of the 67, set records. Here is the final report from Harris County on Hurricane Harvey - Storm and Flood Information. -Models Harvey meandered around southern Texas for days as a weakening hurricane and tropical storm. -CoCoRaHS An estimated 300,000 structures and 500,000 vehicles were damaged or destroyed in Texas alone. Upon the NHC resuming advisories for Harvey at 15:00 UTC on August 23, a hurricane watch was issued in Texas from Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass, while a tropical storm watch was posted from Port Mansfield south to the mouth of the Rio Grande and from San Luis Pass to High Island. A NOAA Tides and Currents gauge at Port Lavaca, Texas, reported an observed storm tide level of 7.0 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL) at 3:48AM Central Time. Long-term records for permanent USGS streamgages are available at the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS). As Harvey is forecast to drift for several days, a change in the center of circulation by even a few miles can change the wind direction from offshore to onshore in places. -Hurricane Harvey Here is the West Gulf River Forecast Center's ArcGIS Storymap. More than 1,800 people died in that storm and the ensuing floods, which also caused $108 billion in damage. -Jefferson County Drainage District 6 Over the next 48 hours Harvey would undergo a period of rapid intensification from a tropical depression to a category 4 hurricane. -Evacuation Planning Storm Surge. Areas closest to Harvey’s circulation center may see rapid water level rises and falls as wind direction changes from offshore to onshore and vice versa. The last substantial storm surge in this region occurred in 1921, when a hurricane generated a 10.5-foot surge. The storm surge from Hurricane Ike floods a public park on the waterfront September 12, 2008 in Texas City, Texas. The maximum potential storm surge for a particular location depends on a number of different factors. The storm surge from Hurricane Ike floods a public park on the waterfront September 12, 2008 in Texas City, Texas. Prior to Harvey, four hurricanes have generated storm surges of at least 13 feet at Port Lavaca, but none since Hurricane Carla hit 56 years ago. -Beach Many places in Laura’s path, like Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas, suffered extensive damage when Hurricane Harvey ripped ashore in 2017. For the most frequent updates, check out the U-Surge Hurricane Harvey page. When it made landfall hours earlier, Harvey easily was the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Charley in 2004 and the first Category 3 or greater storm … -Aviation -FloodAware This area is setup for a massive storm surge event with an astronomical impact because the bay is highly developed, with relatively minor flood protection. Strong squalls of rain and wind will occur east of Harvey's circulation center. September 2017 has accumulated the most cyclone energy of any month on record in the Atlantic. I usually write well-referenced articles, but as Harvey is impacting our area, I do not have time to add references and citations right now to this blog. Harvey maintained tropical storm intensity the entire time while inland over the Texas coastal bend and southeast Texas. Clearly, Harvey had a catastrophic amount of precipitation and its impacts were much larger than the purely oceanic-driven storm surge in this storm. -Publications/Brochures It caused $125 billion in damage according to the National Hurricane Center. -Granger (Central Texas) Storm surge models suggest a surge exceeding 20 feet could strike the bay, if a hurricane tracked in from the southwest and made landfall north of St. Petersburg-Clearwater. This Is Why Irma Worries Me, Harvey’s Rain and Surge Flooding Could be Catastrophic for Houston and Galveston, Tropical Depression Harvey Is Threatening Texas with Major Flooding, Sandy’s Surge Was Extreme. Widespread 2-4' surge has been observed from Port O'Connor to Galveston Bay. -Storm Prediction Center The hurricane centre said: "Life-threatening and devastating flooding expected near the coast due to heavy rainfall and storm surge." Powerful winds aren’t the only deadly force during a hurricane. If you have any questions about Harvey or anything related to coastal flooding in general, shoot me an email and I will try to get back to you ASAP. Data from three 11-day periods before, during, and after the storm (Figure 2) were visualized to characterize magnitude, duration, and spatial variation of medical surge associated with Hurricane Harvey. -National Weather Service -Houston Hobby As a tropical storm, Harvey dropped 40-61 inches of rainfall in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. -National Weather Service The last hurricane to make landfall in the state was Hurricane Ike in 2008. Additional storm reports may be added in the coming days and weeks. He is the founder and president of Marine Weather and Climate. Harvey is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane in this region with maximum sustained wind speeds exceeding 110 mph and a storm surge of 6-12 feet. 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