Publication Date August 26, 2017 | WxShift News

Here’s What to Know About Harvey’s Storm Surge and Widespread Flood Threat

United States
Time series of storm tide (surge plus tide) levels at Port Lavaca above mean sea level from 1900-2017. Hurricane Harvey likely generated a storm tide of 10-12 feet near Port Lavaca, although the highest observed level reported was 7 feet above mean sea level. Photo: Hal Needham
Time series of storm tide (surge plus tide) levels at Port Lavaca above mean sea level from 1900-2017. Hurricane Harvey likely generated a storm tide of 10-12 feet near Port Lavaca, although the highest observed level reported was 7 feet above mean sea level. Photo: Hal Needham

Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, as a Category 4 hurricane yesterday evening. This blog post provides some insights on Harvey's storm surge and widespread flood threat.

Highest Surge

Harvey's highest storm surge occurred east of Rockport.

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A NOAA Tides and Currents gauge at Port Lavaca, Texas, reported an observed storm tide level of 7.0 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL) at 3:48AM Central Time. Unreported storm tides in this region likely reached as high as reached 10-12 feet.

Port Lavaca

Harvey has generated the highest storm surge at Port Lavaca since Hurricane Carla (1961).