Hurricane Harvey is expected to make landfall on the Texas coast as a Category 3 storm late Friday night or early Saturday morning. It has been 18 years since the Texas coast has seen a hurricane of this magnitude. Harvey will be the worst hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago in 2005.
There will be a major effect for 100 miles inland as the storm comes in. Up to three feet of rainfall is expected in some areas and 125 MPH winds lasting for 48 hours. Storm surges are expected to be at least 12 feet, with waves cresting at 20 feet. The effects of this storm are already being felt --- in supply shortages, long waits at the gas station, and a Friday afternoon tornado warning for Central Galveston County which has now expired, but there could be more.
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The National Guard is already on site. In a phone call with Texas Governor Abbott, President Trump has pledged support for Texas ahead of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall. Seven counties are under mandatory evacuation and 30 counties along the coast are under volunteer evacuation. At the time of publication, Hurricane Harvey will most likely stall along the Texas coast, causing massive amounts of flooding with damage expected to exceed $22 billion.
The bread section of a Kroger store is empty as people prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas. (Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Mercury One has been in contact with its disaster relief partners. Each partner has been in constant communications with Homeland Security, the Office of Emergency Management, and the Texas chapter of the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (TXVOAD). They have been preparing to respond for the last several days and are deploying to the region ASAP with water, blankets, food, supplies and volunteers.
If you would like to assist with the disaster recovery effort in Texas, please visit Mercury One for a full list of our disaster relief partners, as well as immediate and forthcoming needs on the ground in Texas.
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We wish everyone in the path of this storm safety.