Heavy weekend rains likely when zombie storm Harvey comes to Texas – MyStatesman.com

Tropical Depression Harvey, a zombie storm system that reanimated into a formidable cyclone early Wednesday in the southwest corner of the Gulf of Mexico, is likely to pummel the Texas Gulf Coast late Friday, the National Weather Service said.

But Harveys path and intensity will shape how much abuse Central Texas might get from the skies this weekend.

If (Harvey) goes further west, we would get more rain, if it goes farther east, wed get less rain, weather service meteorologist Mark Lenz said. Theres a potential its going to be moving slowly, which means we might see some flooding or flash flooding over the weekend.

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The remnants of the first incarnation of Tropical Storm Harvey littered the skies above Mexicos Yucatan peninsula early this week. By Wednesday, though, the storm system was back from the dead as a tropical depression, drawing life from the warm Gulf waters. Harvey could grow stronger and become a tropical storm again before it reaches the Texas coast, Lenz said.

It wont make landfall until Friday evening, he said, probably somewhere north of Corpus Christi. Thats when itll be crossing the coast down there. itll take several hours at least to get farther north.

In anticipation of Harveys arrival, the National Hurricane Center placed most of the Texas coastline under a hurricane watch and several Texas counties, including Fayette County, under a tropical storm watch on Wednesday. Forecasters say hurricane and tropical storm watches are issued when conditions for those events are possible and not necessarily because they will occur.

Well watch it because (cyclones) do have a tendency to slow down or speed up, Lenz said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the center of the tropical depression was about 650 miles south-southeast of Austin, churning in place off the northwestern Yucatan coast with sustained winds of at least 35 mph.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday pre-emptively declared a state of disaster for 30 Texas counties, including Harris, ahead of Harveys arrival. The declaration lays the groundwork for additional state aid should the counties request it.

Abbott also ordered the emergency personnel at the State Operations Center to elevate their readiness level, saying in a statement that he is making available any and all state resources to assist in preparation, rescue and recovery efforts.

I ask that all Texans keep those in the Gulf Coast region in their thoughts and prayers as they prepare for this severe weather event, he said.

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Weather forecast models show Harvey eventually moving northwest, bringing damaging winds of 40 to 50 mph and heavy rain to South and Central Texas starting Friday.

The Austin area, particularly east of the Interstate 35 corridor, could see flash flooding and rivers spilling over their banks. Storms associated with Harvey could produce cumulative rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches over the weekend. Forecasters warn that some isolated areas east of I-35 could get up to 10 inches of rain from stronger storms. The weather service also didnt rule out the possibility of brief tornadoes as bands of storms inspired by Harvey whip across Southeast Texas.

The National Weather Service recommends that Texans living along the coast should firm up their hurricane preparedness plans and stock up emergency supply kits. Although Austin residents likely wont see damaging hurricane-force winds or tidal surges, they should prepare for overflowing creeks and streams and possibly washed-out roadways from flash flooding.

The upshot to the gloom and doom on the horizon for Austin? A big break in the heat.

It looks like well get the clouds and the rain over the weekend, but well definitely be in the 80s, Lenz said.

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Heavy weekend rains likely when zombie storm Harvey comes to Texas - MyStatesman.com