Hurricane Harvey is traveling across the Gulf of Mexico, expected to strengthen to a Category 3 Storm before it makes landfall on the Gulf Coast just before midnight tonight, or early in the morning shortly after midnight on Saturday. Once it hits, the storm is expected to sit in place for a while, creating more damage as it refuses to move on. Harvey will be the strongest Hurricane to hit the Corpus Christi region (with a second potential landfall near Galveston - the counter clockwise spin of the storm when it hits the coast may drive it up the coast towards Galveston before going inland) in 47 years, and the strongest to hit the U.S. in twelve years.
Most deaths from hurricanes are caused by flooding, and Harvey is considered to be a monster, bringing with it 30 inches of rain, 130 mph winds (currently at 110 mph), and heavy flooding infested with alligators. Caught between two high pressure systems, which will force the storm to sit in place for a while — one to the east, and the other to the west — it's likely inland flooding will be compounded by the strong onshore winds, which will discourage the floodwaters from draining into the sea. Because the storm will hit the coast and then stall, storm surge flooding could occur during multiple high tide cycles, subjecting the coast to battering waves that will exacerbate the damage. Flooding kills nine out of ten people who parish in such storms. Houston is especially vulnerable to the flooding that Harvey plans to offer as a result of its burgeoning developments and unique geography.
A slow moving storm, Harvey is rapidly intensifying, and the reconstruction cost is already being estimated to be beyond $40 billion. Over a hundred airline flights have been cancelled. Residents have been flooding stores seeking essential items, finding shelves empty. President Trump has ensured troops have been deployed to assist with the mass hysteria and the aftermath as Texas braces for landfall. Some leftist websites have already decided that Trump has failed regarding this natural disaster. I am quick to remember a number of times Obama failed, one of which was when he attended a baseball game in Cuba, happily chatting with communist dictator Raul Castro, after terror rained down upon Brussels.
The flooding is expected to persist into next week. The decreasing forward speed of the storm will lead to long-duration rainfall and gusty winds. Harvey will cause much worse damage from flooding and wind than would normally occur from a swift moving storm of equal magnitude. The high winds will likely blow trees into utility lines, creating power outages that may last for weeks, since crews will be spread thin and fighting lingering flooding. Some gas stations may not have power to run the pumps. Some refineries may have to shut down.
The Democrats are watching Trump, hoping this is the disaster that breaks a presidency. Trump needs to be focused on the task at hand, and focused on giving his prayers and efforts towards the Gulf Coast. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has assured the media that the Trump administration is closely monitoring the situation, and this White House is committed to not committing the mistakes the Bush administration was accused of in 2005 regarding Hurricane Katrina.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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