Where is hurricane harvey now. Irma is preparing a blow: a hurricane worse than Harvey is approaching the United States

Hurricane Harvey has already increased to a dangerous third category on a five-point scale. This was announced by the US Hurricane Prevention Center (NHC). In the next 3 days, the hurricane, according to forecasts of the Center, will cause significant damage to the territory due to heavy rain (on average, up to 20 inches of precipitation is expected). Many areas are prone to flooding. Forecasters point out that the main threat is isolation, since heavy rain can actually turn individual cities into "islands".

The hurricane is developing so rapidly that the "window" for the evacuation of residents in the risk zone is very small, - said Brock Long, director Federal agency emergency management.

The Center reports that the hurricane is accompanied by steady winds, the speed up to 110 mph(177 kilometers per hour). Maximum recorded speed of gusts of wind - 120 mph(193 kilometers per hour). The hurricane is predicted to hit the Texas coast on Friday night or Saturday morning. The scale of the hurricane is so great that echoes can also be recorded off the coast of Alabama and western Florida.

Once the hurricane reaches the coast, there should be a gradual weakening, but because most of the hurricane remains over the warm Gulf of Mexico, which is fueling it, the Center predicts, the weakening may be much slower than usual. Moreover, after some weakening, forecasters predict the return of the hurricane to the Gulf of Mexico, and then strike again next week in the Houston area.

Hurricane Harvey will be the first hurricane to hit the Texas coast since Hurricane Ike in 2008. Since Ike, communications networks have been restored and upgraded to withstand the impact of a Category 5 hurricane. This factor largely influenced the decision of many Texans to refuse to evacuate.

Governor of Texas Greg Abbott expressed its concern that despite regular warnings about the need for immediate evacuation of coastal residents, very few leave in comparison with the number of evacuated in past hurricanes.

A fish with two mouths was caught in a lake in the USA. Well, you must!

On Friday, August 16, Debbie Gedds went fishing with her husband - and caught one very strange inhabitant of the water depths from Lake Champlain. A trout caught by a New Yorker ...

President Trump said he was personally following the developments in Hurricane Harvey and called on all Texas residents to heed the recommendations and demands of officials.

WASHINGTON, Aug 26 - RIA Novosti. Hurricane Harvey, the most powerful since Katrina, struck the coastal area of ​​Texas on Saturday night, the regime was declared in the area natural disaster... In the center of the hurricane, wind gusts reach 215 kilometers per hour.

Parish "Harvey", which was formed and gained strength in Gulf of Mexico have been waiting for days. The White House reported that up to 4.6 million Americans will be in the area of ​​the disaster.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday introduced a natural disaster regime in 30 counties in his state and requested assistance from the federal authorities in advance, as well as began the evacuation of residents of territories affected by the hurricane. President Trump announced a disaster regime Friday night that should ease federal access to the area in distress.

Texas authorities have raised concerns that people are not taking the threat of an impending hurricane seriously, which is reflected in the number of evacuees.

In the town of Rockport, with a population of about 10.5 thousand people, evacuation was mandatory. "To those who intend to stay, unfortunately,<…>should be prepared and write your name and social security number in a pen on your forearm, "Acting Governor Patrick Raios warned on Friday." The only advice we can give is to leave now, "he said hours before the storm hit.

So far, there have been no reports of casualties, but apparently there is already destruction. For example, the police reported "visible damage" in the small town of Port Aransas on the Mustang barrier island, which lies off the southern coast of Texas. In Rockport, there are reports of broken windows in emergency vehicles.

In addition, according to ABC editions, in already Rockport at least ten people were injured.

Caught up in a hurricane

"Harvey" has significantly disrupted the lives of not only those who, whose houses were hit by the elements. So, more than 15 thousand passengers and personnel of three cruise ships of the Carnival Cruise Line will not be able to return to Texas this weekend due to bad weather.

According to the shipping company, the vessels Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor are at sea. They were supposed to arrive at the port of Galveston, Texas on Saturday, but will be forced to stop in New Orleans instead. There are almost five thousand people on board each of the ships.

The third liner Carnival Breeze with 6,000 people was due to return to the city on Sunday. Passengers and crew members will spend Saturday night on the Mexican island of Cozumel. Later, the ship will head towards Texas to be nearby when Galveston Port reopens.

Potentially Harvey could be the most powerful hurricane in the United States in 12 years since the Katrina storm hit the country in 2005, almost destroying the city. New Orleans in Louisiana.

The financial impact of the hurricane is difficult to predict yet, but it is clear, Fitch Ratings said Friday, that refiners on the Texas Gulf Coast will take a long time to deal with its impact. The agency predicts that while the financial losses are likely not to be colossal, some refineries, notably Citgo and Valero, could be hit hard.

US oil and gas companies have already evacuated more than 90 offshore production platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico in response to the impending hurricane in Texas. According to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Affairs, oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has decreased by about 21.55% from current production levels, while natural gas production has decreased by about 23.24%.

The worst is ahead, "Harvey" has come for a long time

The center of the hurricane reached the Texas coast at about 11 pm on the US East Coast time (06:00 Moscow time on Saturday), but meteorologists and local authorities are confident that the worst is yet to come.

"Although Harvey has come to the coast, the threat of rain is just beginning," said the US National Hurricane Prevention Center (NHC). After the hurricane weakened to a storm, it is expected to be replaced by heavy rains.

According to the center's forecast, in the coastal areas "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is expected." The water can rise to a height of over 70 centimeters and such conditions are expected in the region until the middle of next week.

Good luck to all!

President Trump, via Twitter, reminded residents several times throughout Friday to be mindful of their safety. The President told citizens to follow the instructions of the authorities.

According to the schedule of the US leader, on Saturday he will hold a meeting on the topic of the hurricane via teleconference. It will be attended by US Vice President Mike Pence. And early next week, as a White House spokeswoman said at a briefing, Trump intends to visit Texas.

However, the president did not manage to convince everyone of his interest in the fate of the Texans. As Trump prepared to board a helicopter to fly out of Washington for the weekend, reporters shouted a question about what he wanted to say to the people of Texas. “Good luck everyone!” Trump said and raised his thumb.

The hurricane, which has already claimed five lives, seemed to hit Texas with new force with powerful downpours. Airports and roads are flooded. Most homes, shops and social facilities can only be reached by boat. The authorities are now even afraid to name the scale of the damage. And ahead of the peak of the elements. He, according to forecasters, will be reached by Wednesday, August 30.

Streets, squares, parks, houses are flooded. Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, is sinking. This is a historic flood, officials say. And worst of all, it's not over yet. The critical level is expected to be reached on August 29-30.

“We're in a hurry. We, the residents, have 10-12 boats on which we transport our neighbors. Non-stop, around the clock. I personally saved about 40 people, ”says Ismaeo Fernandez.

Hurricane Harvey, the most powerful in Texas in half a century, brought unprecedented rains. The water in the Gulf of Mexico was warmer than average this summer, causing strong evaporation. The almost complete absence of wind on the eve of the hurricane allowed huge masses of steam to accumulate in the atmosphere. All this turned into record showers. For a day dropped out annual rate precipitation. And the rain keeps falling.

The water in two city reservoirs has risen by 18 meters, threatening to break through the locks and a powerful stream to demolish several blocks. At night, the authorities were forced to make a controlled descent. This added water to the streets. You will probably have to open the floodgates again.

Hundreds of thousands of people left on the eve of the hurricane. 30 thousand had to be rescued, now they are in temporary shelters. People were taken off the roofs, caught from the stream.

“I am bedridden, and the water flowed into the house and rose higher and higher. I got to the mattress. All the furniture in the house has been destroyed, ”says Colin Houston.

This man did not have time to leave - the water blocked his way. The footage was taken by an outdoor surveillance camera. The man held on to his car for several hours until rescuers came to the rescue.

Helicopters are sent where the boats are not able to reach. But the technology is not enough. The authorities are pleading with citizens to call the emergency services only if their lives are really in danger. But the 911 phone rings.

“Despite the fact that the strength of the hurricane wind has subsided, this is not the end, far from the end. Harvey is still a dangerous, historic storm. Houston alone received two feet of rainfall. In the coming days, life-threatening flooding is expected in much of south and southeastern Texas, ”said Elayne Duke, head of the Federal Border Guard Service.

The death of five people has been officially confirmed. The fate of dozens is unknown. The Russian consulate in Houston reports that the Russians have not yet asked for help. The building of the diplomatic mission itself is flooded.

A nursing home in Dixon had to wait several hours for help. A shocking shot: old people confined to wheelchairs are unable to even move, and the water is already chest-high. It is reported that not everyone has been able to move to a safe place so far.

During the live broadcast, the journalist noticed a man stuck in a sinking van. Fortunately, he was saved. And here are shots from one of the editorial offices. The report could be filmed right at the workplace. True, in Houston itself, perhaps, no one would have seen it - the city is almost de-energized.

But people exchange information on social media. This snapshot became a hit: the dog on the call of Otis saves himself, taking a bag of dog food. People do not lose their presence of mind. Here, in spite of the fact that the water was knee-deep in the house, they were chasing a big fish with laughter - it was swept by the stream. In the end, they did get caught.

Oil and gas companies in the Gulf of Mexico are forced to suspend operations. Oil production decreased by 22%, gas production - by 26%. The damage from the elements will be enormous. Meanwhile, the rains are shifting towards neighboring Louisiana. State authorities have already declared a state of emergency there.

No sooner had the United States recovered from the strike from Harvey, when Hurricane Irma, which is called the most powerful hurricane in the Atlantic in the last decade, began to approach the southeast coast.

The hurricane has already reached the fifth, maximum category - it is stronger than Hurricane Harvey, which previously hit the Texas coast and led to catastrophic flooding.

Meanwhile in Atlantic Ocean storm "Katya" has formed off the coast of Mexico, which moves at a speed of 65 kilometers per hour and is likely to accelerate.

What to expect from Irma

A hurricane of this magnitude rips off rooftops and uproots trees, turning them into shells capable of killing people. At the same time, as it moves towards the mainland, the hurricane will only gain strength.

As of September 6, "Irma" has already reached the shores of the state of Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean Sea and is now moving north-west at a speed of about 300 kilometers per hour.

The hurricane is expected to hit Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Haiti. Irma will reach Florida shores before the weekend.

US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Florida and the Overseas American Territories in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Many Caribbean airports are closed, airlines have either canceled flights or are deciding on the actual weather at their destination.

Florida authorities announced the mobilization of all National Guard troops, and also began evacuating tourists from the islands off the southern coast of the state.

“We don't know exactly where the hurricane will go, but the weather can change quickly. While we hope for the best, we must be prepared for the worst, ”said Governor Rick Scott.

Hurricane warnings sparked huge queues in stores across Florida as people went to fetch water, food, fuel and other goods. As a result, some store shelves quickly became empty.

In one of the supermarkets in Miami Beach, visited by an AFP correspondent, there are almost no basic necessities left.

“This is because people go crazy and buy everything. There is no water, no milk, some canned food, but no food for cats, ”says a local resident.

Irma could also have serious consequences for the US energy sector, paralyzing oil production in the Mexican Basin.

Apocalypse from "Harvey"

Over the past week, the powerful storm Harvey has raged in Texas, flooding the most Big city Houston State.

According to recent reports, the storm claimed the lives of 60 people. Most people died in Harris County, Texas, the death toll has reached 30.

Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey / Getty

Harvey was the most powerful hurricane in the United States in 12 years. The wind speed in the center of the hurricane reached 200-208 kilometers per hour, about 100 thousand houses were damaged from it.

As a result of the disaster, vast territories were flooded, transport was paralyzed and power lines were cut off, which left about 155 thousand people without electricity.

Harvey caused serious damage to America's energy sector, paralyzing a fifth of the nation's refining capacity.

Texas authorities have claimed more than $ 180 billion in damage from Harvey. The damage is one third greater than the impact of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city of New Orleans in 2005.

Dissatisfied with flooding because of "Harvey" cat became a meme

Trump has already asked the US Congress to allocate $ 7.85 billion for urgent expenses to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

In addition, the American president announced that he would donate a million dollars from his personal funds to a fund to fight the aftermath of the hurricane.

However, public attention was drawn to the high-heeled shoes in which the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, arrived in Texas after the hurricane.

The Daily Mirror, in the headline, called the shoe "the most unsuitable one imaginable" for a trip like this.

Daliy Beast also scoffed at the “inappropriate” outfit of the first lady of the United States, noting that “waterproof” shoes would be much more useful for her on the trip.

In Trump's office, media reports commented: "It's sad that while the country is suffering from a natural disaster, the people are worried about her shoes."

On her second trip to Texas, Melania also donned stilettos despite criticism.

Subscribe to us