Marine Hurricane/Typhoon — Matagorda Ship Chnl To Pt Aransas Out 20nm, Gulf of Mexico

2017-08-25 to 2017-08-26 · Matagorda Ship Chnl To Pt Aransas Out 20nm, Gulf of Mexico

Event narrative

Satellite and radar data showed Hurricane Harvey moved across the coastal waters during the afternoon of the 25th until the early morning hours of the 26th. NOAA reconnaissance aircraft data indicated Harvey increased to a category 4 storm with maximum winds of 115 knots with gusts to 140 knots during the evening hours of the 25th. A gust to 115 knots occurred at the Aransas Pass Sentinel station near Port Aransas from the southwest during the evening hours of the 25th before communications was lost from the sensor.

Wider weather episode

Major Hurricane Harvey impacted the Middle Texas coast on August 25th and 26th. Harvey was the first category 4 hurricane to strike Texas since Hurricane Carla in 1961. Harvey severely affected the cities of Rockport, Fulton, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Holiday Beach, and Refugio. Minor to moderate damage occurred in cities of Portland, Ingleside, Corpus Christi, Seadrift, Port Lavaca, Goliad, and Victoria.

Harvey weakened to a tropical wave as the system moved across the Caribbean Sea and the Yucatan peninsula from August 18th until the 22nd. Harvey formed into a tropical depression over the southern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of August 23rd. Harvey rapidly intensified from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in 40 hours as it moved northwest toward the Texas coast. Harvey continued to intensify as it approached the Middle Texas coast on August 25th and made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane during the evening hours. Harvey was the first major hurricane to make landfall on the Middle Texas coast since Hurricane Celia in August of 1970.

Hurricane Harvey slowed down after landfall and weakened into a Tropical Storm on the afternoon of the 26th. Harvey became nearly stationary west of Cuero from the evening of the 26th through the morning of the 27th. Harvey drifted southeastward across the Victoria Crossroads on the afternoon of the 27th. Harvey then moved into Matagorda Bay during the morning hours of the 28th and back into northwest Gulf of Mexico later that afternoon. Tropical storm conditions persisted near the northern portion of the Middle Texas coast into the early morning hours of the 29th.

Hurricane Harvey moved inland in Aransas County on San Jose Island around 830 PM CDT August 25th. Harvey had a minimum central pressure of 938 millibars and produced a maximum storm surge of 12.5 feet. Maximum sustained winds were estimated at 130 mph (115 knots) with gusts to 160 mph (140 knots).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 721481. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.