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| Hurricane Harvey: Texas braces for massive storm | Hurricane Harvey: Texas braces for massive storm |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Texas is bracing itself for Hurricane Harvey, which may be the worst storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years. | Texas is bracing itself for Hurricane Harvey, which may be the worst storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years. |
| Harvey, currently a category two storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall on Texas' central coast late on Friday or early Saturday. | Harvey, currently a category two storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall on Texas' central coast late on Friday or early Saturday. |
| The National Hurricane Center said storm surges may bring life-threatening floods in and around Houston. | The National Hurricane Center said storm surges may bring life-threatening floods in and around Houston. |
| The storm may bring 35in (97cm) of rain, 130mph (210km/h) winds and 12ft (3.5m) storm surges, say forecasters. | The storm may bring 35in (97cm) of rain, 130mph (210km/h) winds and 12ft (3.5m) storm surges, say forecasters. |
| At 10:00 local time (15:00 GMT), the eye of Harvey was about 115 miles south-east of the Texas coastal city of Corpus Christi, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. It had sustained winds of 110mph. | At 10:00 local time (15:00 GMT), the eye of Harvey was about 115 miles south-east of the Texas coastal city of Corpus Christi, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. It had sustained winds of 110mph. |
| Harvey - which has been gaining strength - is likely to strike at the heart of Texas's oil refining industry. | Harvey - which has been gaining strength - is likely to strike at the heart of Texas's oil refining industry. |
| Oil-rich Houston, the fourth biggest city in the US, could face up to 20in of rain over the coming days, officials there said. | Oil-rich Houston, the fourth biggest city in the US, could face up to 20in of rain over the coming days, officials there said. |
| Meteorologists are warning of extremely high volumes of rainfall as the storm stalls over the middle Texas coast. | Meteorologists are warning of extremely high volumes of rainfall as the storm stalls over the middle Texas coast. |
| They say Harvey could remain in the area, dumping rain until the middle of next week. | They say Harvey could remain in the area, dumping rain until the middle of next week. |
| On top of that, the central Texas coast is likely to see a significant storm surge - this happens when low pressure at sea "lifts" tides to a level higher than normal, up to 12ft in this case, and high winds then blow the water in land. | On top of that, the central Texas coast is likely to see a significant storm surge - this happens when low pressure at sea "lifts" tides to a level higher than normal, up to 12ft in this case, and high winds then blow the water in land. |
| The NHC said it expected "catastrophic flooding" across the coast and in some inland areas throughout south-east Texas. | The NHC said it expected "catastrophic flooding" across the coast and in some inland areas throughout south-east Texas. |
| Energy companies have been evacuating staff from offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. | Energy companies have been evacuating staff from offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. |
| Texan oil refineries on land are also shutting down in preparation for the storm. As a result, US fuel prices have reached a three-week high. | Texan oil refineries on land are also shutting down in preparation for the storm. As a result, US fuel prices have reached a three-week high. |
| In the latest developments: | In the latest developments: |
| "Now is the time to urgently hide from the wind," the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a bulletin. | "Now is the time to urgently hide from the wind," the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a bulletin. |
| "Failure to adequately shelter may result in serious injury, loss of life or immense human suffering." | "Failure to adequately shelter may result in serious injury, loss of life or immense human suffering." |
| Joe McComb, mayor of Corpus Christi, a coastal city of more than 300,000 people, urged householders to take the warnings seriously and evacuate low-lying areas. | Joe McComb, mayor of Corpus Christi, a coastal city of more than 300,000 people, urged householders to take the warnings seriously and evacuate low-lying areas. |
| "I hope people will listen to forecasters when they say 'beware of flash floods'," he said. "Flash floods can come quickly, and they can be deadly." | "I hope people will listen to forecasters when they say 'beware of flash floods'," he said. "Flash floods can come quickly, and they can be deadly." |
| According to the NHC, the wind speed is currently almost 110mph, though gusts are even stronger. | According to the NHC, the wind speed is currently almost 110mph, though gusts are even stronger. |
| The NWS said on Friday it expected Harvey to make landfall as a Category Three hurricane, out of a maximum of five. | |
| If it does, it will be the strongest to hit the US since October 2005, when Hurricane Wilma struck the coast of Florida. | If it does, it will be the strongest to hit the US since October 2005, when Hurricane Wilma struck the coast of Florida. |
| Wilma left 87 people dead, and was part of a record-breaking hurricane season that included Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and killed nearly 2,000 people in August of that year. | Wilma left 87 people dead, and was part of a record-breaking hurricane season that included Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and killed nearly 2,000 people in August of that year. |
| Are you in the region? How are you preparing for Hurricane Harvey? If you have any information to share with the BBC, you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you in the region? How are you preparing for Hurricane Harvey? If you have any information to share with the BBC, you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |