Texas, USA: Hurricane Harvey Severly Damages Coastal Areas – Widespread Flooding Continues
Hurricane Harvey came onshore on August 26 after a long run from the mid-Atlantic. When the storm arrived at Southeast Texas, it brought with it sustained winds higher than 100kts, making it a Category 4 major hurricane and the first to make landfall in the United States in almost a decade.
Published 7 years ago, updated 5 years ago
The eye passed close to Rockport, Texas, in the middle of the night. Residents who stayed to wait out the storm woke to a scene of true devastation. Port Aransas, a seaside town on the barrier island, took much of the full force of the storm. A storm surge of approximately 4-6ft came ashore, but most of the surge was mitigated by the barrier islands. The inner waters of Aransas Bay and Corpus Christi Bay fared better.
Marinas in and around Rockport, Fulton, Port Aransas, and Aransas Pass sustained significant damage. Numerous yachts sank or were severely damaged, many losing their masts and rigging. Corpus Christi took less damage to its coastline. The major municipal marina in Corpus sustained minimal damage, but mostly it weathered the storm well considering its proximity to Hurricane Harvey’s landfall.
The storm dumped record-setting amounts of water onshore, particularly in the “front right section” of the storm. Houston, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the USA, took on nearly five feet of rain in some places. Houston experiences flooding from even minor storms, so rain of this magnitude has brought historic flooding to the area. Some areas are projected to still have flood waters in homes for weeks and perhaps months.
Here are a few links to updates on the storm and the restoration efforts:
From the US Coast Guard: Port Readiness Conditions
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/1b3d57a
From Quora: “The Right Way to volunteer to help Houston with Hurricane Harvey”
https://qz.com/1064887/hurricane-harvey-how-to-volunteer-to-help-houston/
From Texas Tribune: “The long road to recovery begins”
Related to following destinations: USA
Related to the following Cruising Resources: Hurricanes and Tropical Cyclones, Weather
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