Scientists are warning that 1.4 million people are currently in the path of Hurricane Harvey — and the residents are being urged to prepare for the worst.
The National Hurricane Center is forecasting the hurricane will hit the middle Texas coastline with sustained winds as high as 110 mph late Friday.
Forecasters said a “life-threatening” storm surge along with rains and wind were likely as Harvey was intensifying faster than previously forecast.
Landfall is expected between Port O’Connor and Matagorda Bay, a 30-mile stretch of coastline about 70 miles northeast of Corpus Christi. The effects of the hurricane could also effect nearby states, though the bulk of the devastation is expected in Texas.
The hurricane center says it’s possible the storm could just stall inland for as long as three days, increasing the threat of severe flooding.
The last major hurricane to hit Texas was Ike, in September 2008. It brought winds of 110 mph in the Galveston and Houston areas and left $22 billion of damages.
The storm has placed nearly the entire 367-mile Texas Gulf Coast under a hurricane or tropical storm warning or watch.
Of the people in 16 counties under a hurricane warning, about 325,000 of them are in Corpus Christi. Another 12 million people are under a tropical storm warning, including San Antonio and Houston.
Numerous cities have been bringing in sandbags, extra water and other items ahead of the storm.
The Associated Press contributed to this article