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| Hurricane Harvey: Texas braces for category-three storm | Hurricane Harvey: Texas braces for category-three storm |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Texas is bracing itself for Hurricane Harvey - the worst storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years. | Texas is bracing itself for Hurricane Harvey - the worst storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years. |
| The category three storm, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall along the state's central coast on Friday night. | The category three storm, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall along the state's central coast on Friday night. |
| The National Hurricane Center warned that torrential rain and storm surges could bring life-threatening flooding to Houston and surrounding area. | The National Hurricane Center warned that torrential rain and storm surges could bring life-threatening flooding to Houston and surrounding area. |
| The storm will also strike at the heart of Texas's oil refining industry. | The storm will also strike at the heart of Texas's oil refining industry. |
| Energy companies have been evacuating staff from offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, while on land Texan oil refineries are shutting down in preparation for the storm. | Energy companies have been evacuating staff from offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, while on land Texan oil refineries are shutting down in preparation for the storm. |
| As a result, US fuel prices have reached a three week-high. | As a result, US fuel prices have reached a three week-high. |
| Meanwhile, communities in the projected path of the storm are also preparing for its arrival. | Meanwhile, communities in the projected path of the storm are also preparing for its arrival. |
| Joe McComb, mayor of coastal town Corpus Christi, urged people to take the warnings seriously and evacuate low lying areas. | Joe McComb, mayor of coastal town Corpus Christi, urged people to take the warnings seriously and evacuate low lying areas. |
| "I hope people will listen to forecasters when they say 'beware of flash floods," he said. "Flash floods can come quickly, and they can be deadly." | "I hope people will listen to forecasters when they say 'beware of flash floods," he said. "Flash floods can come quickly, and they can be deadly." |
| According to the National Hurricane Center, the wind speed is currently almost 85mph (140km/h) - although gusts are even stronger. | According to the National Hurricane Center, the wind speed is currently almost 85mph (140km/h) - although gusts are even stronger. |
| Hurricane Harvey is also continuing to gain strength. | Hurricane Harvey is also continuing to gain strength. |
| If it does make landfall as a category three storm, it will be the strongest storm to hit the US since October 2005, when Hurricane Wilma struck the coast of Florida. | |
| Wilma left 87 people dead, and was part of a record-breaking hurricane season that included Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and killed nearly 2,000 people in August of that year. |