Hurricane Harvey to strengthen overnight, poses 'grave risk,' forecasters say

By Ben Estes, The Times-Picayune

Hurricane Harvey -- labeled by forecasters a "life-threatening storm" that posed a "grave risk" -- was expected to strengthen overnight as it moved toward the Texas coast, the National Hurricane Center said in its Thursday night (Aug. 24) update.

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As of 10 p.m., the storm was a Category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds moving northwest in the Gulf of Mexico about 250 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Once reaching land, Harvey was likely to stall near or just inland of the middle Texas coast through the weekend, forecasters said.

The latest forecast map shows Harvey moving northeast along the Texas coast through Tuesday evening.

"Devastating and life-threatening flooding is expected across the middle and upper Texas coast from heavy rainfall of 15 to 25 inches, with isolated amounts as high as 35 inches, from Friday through next Wednesday," the National Hurricane Center said.

The National Weather service said the New Orleans area could get 5 to 10 inches of rain during the same period.

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Monica Velasquez