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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Texas - latest updates | Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Texas - latest updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.03am BST | |
| 08:03 | |
| Power network corporation Ercot now says Hurricane Harvey has knocked out power to more than 211,000 customers. | |
| 7.52am BST | |
| 07:52 | |
| Summary | |
| Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Friday night in Rockport, Texas, after swiftly gathering strength over the Gulf of Mexico. | |
| It hit the coast as a category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 130mph (210km/h). It began moving north-west at 7mph. | |
| More than 100,000 people are without power, and people in the city of Corpus Christie – the nearest big city – have been urged to boil their water. Reports of significant damage are emerging in Rockport. | |
| The National Hurricane Center says “catastrophic flooding” is expected due to heavy rainfall and a storm surge. The storm is forecast to head towards Houston, the state’s fourth-largest city, which is prone to flooding. | |
| Donald Trump has signed a disaster proclamation at the request of the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott. This will release federal disaster response funds and resources. Abbott has already declared a state of disaster in 30 counties to speed up deployment of state resources. | |
| The mayor of Rockport has urged residents who chose to stay to write their social security numbers on their arms to make it easier for rescuers to identify them. | |
| Harvey is expected to slow down and linger over south-eastern Texas for the next few days, dumping up to 30 inches (76cm) of rain, with 40 inches in isolated areas of middle and upper Texas. The danger is forecast to last through to Wednesday. | |
| Storm surges of up to 13ft (4 metres) plus destructive waves are expected between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor, a stretch of coast either side of where Harvey made landfall. | |
| Swells generated by Harvey are affecting the Texas, Louisiana, and north-east Mexico coasts. | |
| Multiple tornado warnings have been issued and one has been spotted at Sienna Plantation just south of Houston. Tornadoes are possible through Saturday in middle and upper Texas and far south-west Louisiana. | |
| 7.34am BST | |
| 07:34 | |
| Police have spotted a tornado at Sienna Plantation, just a few miles south of Houston. | |
| Tornado sighting - Sienna Plantation area / Please take cover and do not get out of shelter | |
| 7.30am BST | |
| 07:30 | |
| It is 1.30am in Rockport at the moment, where the storm made landfall. Accurate information about the scale of the damage in that town is still some hours away but some reports are emerging. | |
| HOMES DESTROYED - Video like this just breaks your heart, but shows the extreme power & strength of #HurricaneHarvey #TXwx pic.twitter.com/XNDc90MDI7 | |
| 7.06am BST | 7.06am BST |
| 07:06 | 07:06 |
| Another image of #HurricanHarvey - the storm's eye is now over the Texas Coast. #txwx #houwx #HarveyStormhttps://t.co/Z0iIf2A26s pic.twitter.com/8K3Bl07Kw0 | Another image of #HurricanHarvey - the storm's eye is now over the Texas Coast. #txwx #houwx #HarveyStormhttps://t.co/Z0iIf2A26s pic.twitter.com/8K3Bl07Kw0 |
| 7.02am BST | 7.02am BST |
| 07:02 | 07:02 |
| Hurricane Harvey weakens slightly to category 3 storm | Hurricane Harvey weakens slightly to category 3 storm |
| Several hours after making landfall, the storm has weakened ever so slightly but this is very much a technical difference – its maximum sustained winds have eased from 130mph to 125mph. It is still moving north-west, at the slightly slower pace of 6mph. This is the big problem: the slower it moves, the more rain falls in a single area, increasing the chance of catastrophic flooding. | Several hours after making landfall, the storm has weakened ever so slightly but this is very much a technical difference – its maximum sustained winds have eased from 130mph to 125mph. It is still moving north-west, at the slightly slower pace of 6mph. This is the big problem: the slower it moves, the more rain falls in a single area, increasing the chance of catastrophic flooding. |
| 6.44am BST | 6.44am BST |
| 06:44 | 06:44 |
| National Hurricane Center issues Harvey summary | National Hurricane Center issues Harvey summary |
| The National Hurricane Center has sent out a detailed bulletin on Hurricane Harvey so far. Here are the main points: | The National Hurricane Center has sent out a detailed bulletin on Hurricane Harvey so far. Here are the main points: |
| Harvey made landfall at Rockport as a category 4 storm and “catastrophic flooding” is expected due to heavy rainfall and a storm surge. | Harvey made landfall at Rockport as a category 4 storm and “catastrophic flooding” is expected due to heavy rainfall and a storm surge. |
| It has maximum sustained winds of 130mph (215km/h) and is moving north-west at 7mph. It is expected to slow down and linger over south-eastern Texas for the next few days. | It has maximum sustained winds of 130mph (215km/h) and is moving north-west at 7mph. It is expected to slow down and linger over south-eastern Texas for the next few days. |
| It is expected to dump up to 30 inches (76cm) of rain, with 40 inches in isolated areas of middle and upper Texas through to Wednesday. This would cause “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding”. | It is expected to dump up to 30 inches (76cm) of rain, with 40 inches in isolated areas of middle and upper Texas through to Wednesday. This would cause “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding”. |
| Storm surges of up to 13ft (4 metres) plus destructive waves are expected between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor if it combines with high tide. | Storm surges of up to 13ft (4 metres) plus destructive waves are expected between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor if it combines with high tide. |
| Swells generated by Harvey are affecting the Texas, Louisiana, and north-east Mexico coasts. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents. | Swells generated by Harvey are affecting the Texas, Louisiana, and north-east Mexico coasts. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents. |
| Tornadoes are possible through Saturday near the middle and upper Texas coast into far south-west Louisiana. | Tornadoes are possible through Saturday near the middle and upper Texas coast into far south-west Louisiana. |
| 6.20am BST | 6.20am BST |
| 06:20 | 06:20 |
| We will remain fully engaged w/ open lines of communication as #HurricaneHarvey makes landfall. America is w/ you! @GovAbbott @FEMA @DHSgov pic.twitter.com/PryIqRxgLr | We will remain fully engaged w/ open lines of communication as #HurricaneHarvey makes landfall. America is w/ you! @GovAbbott @FEMA @DHSgov pic.twitter.com/PryIqRxgLr |
| 6.10am BST | 6.10am BST |
| 06:10 | 06:10 |
| The roof of a seniors housing complex has collapsed in Rockport, say authorities, with an unknown number of people taken to a nearby jail for medical assessment. The courthouse and high school there have also suffered significant damage. The injury tally for the area so far has been reported as 10. | The roof of a seniors housing complex has collapsed in Rockport, say authorities, with an unknown number of people taken to a nearby jail for medical assessment. The courthouse and high school there have also suffered significant damage. The injury tally for the area so far has been reported as 10. |
| 5.59am BST | 5.59am BST |
| 05:59 | 05:59 |
| A tornado warning has been issued (in Spanish and English) for the area just directly south of Houston. | A tornado warning has been issued (in Spanish and English) for the area just directly south of Houston. |
| Aviso de Tornado incluye Danbury TX, Liverpool TX, Hoskins TX hasta las 12:15 AM CDT pic.twitter.com/LBAHXA1kCh | Aviso de Tornado incluye Danbury TX, Liverpool TX, Hoskins TX hasta las 12:15 AM CDT pic.twitter.com/LBAHXA1kCh |
| 5.55am BST | 5.55am BST |
| 05:55 | 05:55 |
| Hurricane Harvey could have significant economic as well as humanitarian impact. Already, gas stations across southern Texas have started to run out of fuel and gas prices have spiked. This is down to a combination of panic buying and the closure of a fifth of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. | Hurricane Harvey could have significant economic as well as humanitarian impact. Already, gas stations across southern Texas have started to run out of fuel and gas prices have spiked. This is down to a combination of panic buying and the closure of a fifth of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. |
| More than 45% of the country’s refining capacity is along the US Gulf coast, and nearly a fifth of the nation’s crude oil is produced offshore. The Associated Press reports that ports across a 200-mile stretch running from Corpus Christi north to Texas City were closed to incoming vessels and that Shell, Anadarko Petroleum Corp, Exxon Mobil and others have evacuated staff from offshore oil and gas platforms. | More than 45% of the country’s refining capacity is along the US Gulf coast, and nearly a fifth of the nation’s crude oil is produced offshore. The Associated Press reports that ports across a 200-mile stretch running from Corpus Christi north to Texas City were closed to incoming vessels and that Shell, Anadarko Petroleum Corp, Exxon Mobil and others have evacuated staff from offshore oil and gas platforms. |
| The US government has said it would make emergency stockpiles of crude available if needed to ease disruption. It has regularly used them to dampen the impact of previous storms on energy supplies. | The US government has said it would make emergency stockpiles of crude available if needed to ease disruption. It has regularly used them to dampen the impact of previous storms on energy supplies. |
| 5.45am BST | 5.45am BST |
| 05:45 | 05:45 |
| In Victoria, about 85 miles (137km) north of where the storm hit the coast, mayor Paul Polasek told CNN he estimated that 60 to 65% of the town’s 65,000 residents defied the mandatory evacuation order. | In Victoria, about 85 miles (137km) north of where the storm hit the coast, mayor Paul Polasek told CNN he estimated that 60 to 65% of the town’s 65,000 residents defied the mandatory evacuation order. |
| 5.40am BST | 5.40am BST |
| 05:40 | 05:40 |
| Reports of damage are starting to filter in, though we are unable to confirm them at this stage. Rockport high school has reportedly suffered significant damage, large fishing boats have been pushed inland at Port Aransas and the waterfront there has been devastated. | Reports of damage are starting to filter in, though we are unable to confirm them at this stage. Rockport high school has reportedly suffered significant damage, large fishing boats have been pushed inland at Port Aransas and the waterfront there has been devastated. |
| Rockport, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall, has enjoyed relative piece in the eye of the storm but it appears the back end of the storm is about to hit. | Rockport, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall, has enjoyed relative piece in the eye of the storm but it appears the back end of the storm is about to hit. |
| 5.33am BST | 5.33am BST |
| 05:33 | 05:33 |
| Thousands of Corpus Christi residents have opted to leave the city. They gathered at the city’s gym, where they were registered and taken by bus to San Antonio. Officials have no idea how many people decided to remain in Corpus Christi after the voluntary evacuation announcement. | Thousands of Corpus Christi residents have opted to leave the city. They gathered at the city’s gym, where they were registered and taken by bus to San Antonio. Officials have no idea how many people decided to remain in Corpus Christi after the voluntary evacuation announcement. |