Major Hurricane Harvey to make landfall tonight

A satellite image many in the weather community will not soon forget, Hurricane Harvey approaching the coast of Texas.

This system will be the first major hurricane(category 3 or higher) to make landfall in the United states since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The winds should not overshadow the massive flood potential which will likely be the biggest threat as Harvey sits over Texas for up to 7 days.

This is an historic event that many in the weather community will never forget. This could rank in the top 3 most costliest hurricanes ever because of the multiple threats that Harvey will bring. Harvey checks all the boxes on the hurricane impact scale: Extreme winds, very heavy rain, and 12 feet of storm surge.

The latest ECMWF model has over 60" of rain in Texas over a 7 day period. That combined with 8-12 feet of storm surge spells natural disaster for Texas, both inland and at the coast. as President Trump said, heed all warnings by local officials and evacuate if needed! Many local officials decided not to issue mandatory evacuations and that is why I am so concerned about the potential loss of life with this storm.

Hurricane Hunters are finding flight level winds of 118 knots( 135 mph). If there is a strong burst of convection those could easily be brought down to the surface.\

Even though Harvey will make landfall tonight its effects will linger for 7 days over south texas as up to 60" of rain piles up and causes catastrophic flooding, Please keep South Texas in your prayers for the next few days as they are gonna need them.

For now, if you are chasing this hurricane please stay safe and thank you for your reports!