Tropical Depression Harvey redevelops in Gulf; could become hurricane

(RNN) - After falling apart in the Caribbean, Tropical Depression Harvey has found new life in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and it may become a hurricane before making landfall along the northwestern Gulf Coast.

Forecasters said the storm will approach the Texas coast on Friday, bringing with it drenching rain, flooding, storm surge of up 4 to 6 feet in some places and hurricane-force winds.

As of the 10 a.m. advisory, Harvey is about 535 miles south-southeast of Port O'Connor, TX, and 470 miles southeast of Port Mansfield, TX, moving northwest at 9 mph with 35 mph winds.

Watches have been issued along the Texas coast, and the National Hurricane Center said people in southwestern Louisiana should be prepared, as watches will be issued for that area later Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center issued its first Storm Surge Watch for the coast of Texas from Port Mansfield to High Island.

A Hurricane Watch has been issued for the coast of Texas from north of Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass.

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the coast of Texas from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Port Mansfield and from north of San Luis Pass to High Island. The government of Mexico has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the coast of Mexico from Boca De Catan to the mouth of the Rio Grande.

The National Hurricane Center said areas far inland, including Houston, the fourth-largest city in the U.S., could experience flooding from Harvey's vast amounts of potential rainfall.

Harvey could produce massive amounts of rain accumulations - 10 to 15 inches and up to 20 inches in some areas over the middle and upper Texas coast and southwest Louisiana through next Tuesday.

In addition to strong wind and torrential rainfall, strong surf and rip current conditions along the Texas, Louisiana and Mexico coasts.

Forecasters warned the the inital motion of the storm is difficult to ascertain since the storm just reformed.

Though the storm is not well organized, conditions in the Gulf of Mexico are conducive for strengthening.

Harvey is expected to move slowly to the northwest or north-northwest over the next day or so as it enters a weakness in the Atlantic subtropical ridge, before moving faster by late Thursday.

Around the time of landfall, the steering currents are expected to weaken, which may cause the storm to stall over southeast Texas.

Harvey became a tropical storm last week, the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, before unfavorable conditions in the Caribbean caused it to dissipate.

Another low pressure system is drenching south Florida with rain and will bring rain north as it coasts up the Florida peninsula. This tropical system has a low chance of developing into a tropical cyclone.

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