Hurricane Harvey has been upgraded to a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of 130 mph, and is expected to make landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas, in a few hours, ABC News reports; the storm is then projected to sit on the coast and bombard residents with several feet of rain over the next three days.
Here are the key messages for #Hurricane #Harvey about the 4 pm CDT advisory. https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/BsDAMBMcpy
— NHC Atlantic Ops (@NHC_Atlantic) August 25, 2017
Most schools have already cancelled classes for Monday, as well as any activities Friday evening or over the weekend. Many school districts closed their buildings today. The Spring Independent School District, based in Houston, cancelled everything, according to a message sent out to families on its website:
Please be advised that Spring ISD schools and offices will be closed tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 25, to allow our families and staff time to prepare for Hurricane Harvey. We will continue to monitor weather conditions closely and currently expect to notify families and staff Saturday if district schools and offices will remain closed on Monday. As previously communicated, all after-school activities have been canceled for Friday and Saturday. Please take care and be safe.
The message was then repeated in Spanish.
Also, Saturday is one of several SAT test dates for college-bound students in the US. As of 5:30 PM CDT, the College Board has announced that at least 106 test centers have been closed in Texas. Most makeups are either rescheduled for September 16 or listed as “to be determined.”
Students: Here's more info about SAT makeup testing. Stay safe and be on lookout for email from ETS/College Board. https://t.co/7TgEaWm8sH
— Fort Bend ISD (@FortBendISD) August 25, 2017
“This is going to be a storm we talk about, unfortunately, for at least the next seven days,” ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee said this morning on the “Good Morning America” show.
In addition to heavy rainfall and high winds, the storm is expected to bring a huge storm surge—up to 6 to 12 feet above ground level, the National Weather Service predicted.
