Galveston issued a vol evac for the west end -- medical access needs - city of gal.
Hurricane Harvey is expected to make landfall late Friday in between Corpus Cristi and Matagorda Bay as a Category 3 storm, with winds upwards of 110 mph, the National Weather Service said Thursday morning.
As of noon Thursday, Hurricane Harvey was 340 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, moving northwest at 10 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
The sluggish pace of the hurricane could cause it to dump more than a foot of rain across southeast Texas, causing potentially life-threatening flooding in both coastal areas and Harris County that rivals levels seen in 2001 during Tropical Storm Allison.
The last hurricane to strike Texas was Hurricane Ike in 2008.
The National Weather Service has issued hurricane and tropical storm warnings up and down the Texas coast.
A tropical storm warning was in effect through Saturday for Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Chambers, Waller, Wharton, Austin and Colorado counties.
Brazoria County is also under a storm surge warning. Chambers, Galveston and Harris are under storm-surge watches.
Hurricane and storm surge warnings are in effect for Jackson and Matagorda counties.
Flash flood watches are in effect for Matagorda, Jackson, Wharton and Colorado counties; the watches will likely be extended eastward late Thursday or early Friday, according to the NWS.
Matagorda County officials just before noon Thursday announced mandatory evacuations for residents in the southern portion of the county.
Johnny Dugger, a cattle rancher in Edna, Jackson County, just north of Port Lavaca, was preparing for the storm by packing up his tools, getting ready to do repairs when the storm is over.
His plan?
“I guess we are going to stick it out,” he said.
Dugger said there are many cattle ranchers in the area who are getting ready for the storm, which is expected to dump a significant amount of water onto the region.
"That's going to probably put all my marshland underwater. I hope it doesn't get there," he said. "People hauling cattle like crazy.” Everyone else in the area is getting their cattle out.
People living south of FM 521 and in the community of Palacios must clear out of their homes by 8 a.m. Friday, said Doug Matthes, the county's Emergency Management Coordinator.
Calhoun County officials at 11 a.m. Thursday called for a mandatory evacuation of the entire county, which includes Port Lavaca, Port O'Connor and Seadrift. Authorities predict the storm will bring "life-threatening tidal surges and flooding" to the area.
Harvey is becoming faster and better organized as it moves northwest toward the Texas coast.
After making landfall along on the mid-coast Friday night, the storm is expected to stall, according to the NWS.
Tropical storm-force winds could pound Brazoria County's coastline as early as Friday afternoon, and continue through Saturday.
The first counties to be hit by rain will likely be Matagorda and Jackson, according to the NWS.
The storm's sluggish pace increases the odds that Harris County - and areas across southeast Texas - could see levels of rainfall comparable to Tropical Storm Allison or the 2016 Tax Day Floods, but even more widespread, said Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District.
"The potential here is for big rain amounts over a very large area," Lindner said. "That's something that's somewhat unprecedented across the Texas coast."
In Harris County, Tropical Storm Allison left 22 dead and 30,000 homeless, and caused more than $5 billion in property damages.
"We're looking at a huge swath of territory on the southeast coasts that are getting a large amount of rain," said Francisco Sanchez, spokesman for the Harris County Office of Emergency Management. "If you have flooded in the past, you know to be watchful. If you are in an area that's gotten lucky over the past two years, please don't rely on that luck anymore."
Residents who live south of Interstate 10 could see more than 20 inches of rain between Thursday and early next week, Kyle said.
"It's not all going to fall in a single day," Kyle said. "Totals are going to gradually add up."
Rainfall totals will be between 10 and 20 inches for the rest of Harris County. Officials are cautioning residents to stock up on food and water, prepare for power outages and stay off the roads.
Residents should expect overflowing creeks, bayous and rivers and flooded streets, Lindner said. All water sources have the potential to flood, Lindner added.
Heavy rain may continue into early next week.
"Just because we have landfall Friday evening, it's not going to be over and done with this Saturday," Lindner said.
There is a low-to-moderate chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms hitting Houston early Friday, as the outer bands of the storm come through the coast, according to the NWS.
Gusty winds - mostly below tropical storm speeds - will hit the Houston area Saturday morning and continue through the afternoon.
Isolated tornadoes may form within Hurricane Harvey's outer rain and storm bands. According to the NWS, the odds tornadoes will form will increase through Saturday afternoon.
The Harris County Emergency Operations Center is now staffed 24 hours a day. State officials arrived Thursday morning at the center, Sanchez said.
The county has also activated its Regional Joint Information Center - the mechanism it uses to keep people informed.
Once the hurricane nears the coast, Sanchez said the county will have a better understanding of just how bad flooding may be and whether residents in coastal communities will need to be evacuated.
Local school districts and higher education institutions - including Houston ISD and the University of Houston - on Thursday cancelled upcoming classes and programming.
Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert on Thursday declared a local state of disaster, which triggers implementation of the county's emergency plan, according to a news release.
Galveston County officials are encouraging residents to prep for supplies for up to three days, should they be unable to leave their houses, said Brittany Viegas, spokeswoman for the county.
"People need to be prepared to be stuck in homes with flooding and being stuck in homes without power," Viegas said.
Viegas added the county judge may call Thursday for a voluntary evacuation of the Bolivar Peninsula, as Highway 87 often becomes impassable after storms.
Coastal flooding in Galveston may start as early as Friday. Water levels are expected to begin to rise Thursday night, reaching 2 to 4 feet above ground level in Galveston and 6 to 10 feet in and around Matagorda Bay, according to the NWS.
Brazoria County officials are also encouraging residents to prepare for power outages and flooding, especially in coastal communities that are expected to be especially hard hit.
"We're asking our residents to be vigilant and careful," said Brazoria County spokeswoman Sharon Trower. "And to be prepared for all of this heavy rain we're going to be getting."
As part of its preparations for the impending storm, the Red Cross put out a call Thursday for volunteers for warehousing, shelter management, supply distribution and administrative support.
"This is the type of situation we prepare for year-round," said David Brady, regional chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of the Texas Gulf Coast.
"We want to be sure we have enough people to help us help others," Brady added.
Volunteers can register at redcross.org/volunteer.
The Red Cross is also prepping shelter trailers, emergency response vehicles and kitchen support that can be sent out as needed.
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