Tropical Storm Harvey is gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
David Zelensky with the National Hurricane Center tells KTRH Harvey's not done.
“We do expect it to continue strengthening, and we expect it to become a Hurricane,” Zelensky said.
Harvey’s big issue is that once he gets to Texas he will stick around for days.
“Harvey is forecast to stall shortly after it makes landfall,” Zelensky stated.
You will start seeing the rains from Harvey come in tomorrow. Jeff Lindner with the Harris County Flood Control District tells KTRH the thing that troubles him is Harvey stalling.
“The potential is certainly there for some high totals going into the weekend. We are talking fifteen inches or higher,” Lindner explained.
Another troubling factor is the size of Harvey.
“This could be anywhere from Austin to Southwest Louisiana. Anywhere in that area could see some of these big totals,” Lindner stated.
This is why Governor Abbott has declared a state of disaster for 30 Texas counties before the storm even hits. That includes Harris, Fort Bend, Galveston, Waller and Wharton Counties.
Officials: Prepare now
As Harvey approaches, those in charge of keeping you safe are growing more concerned. Here in the city, Michael Walter with the Houston Office of Emergency Management told KTRH his fear is where it hits.
“The concern is where it falls and how fast it falls,” Walter stated.
Allan Spears with the Fort Bend County OEM has concerns about the floods in his county.
“Street flooding and flash flooding. We have areas that once we get a lot of rain have a tendency to flood,” Spears told KTRH News.
Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal is worried about low lying areas.
“We have concern for the low lying areas. Those that are subject to flooding need to be taking precautions,” Doyal stated.
In Brazoria County, Glen Lamont with the Office of Emergency Management says for them it's all about where Harvey tracks.
“If it comes closer to us then we are going to catch the winds and storm surge, which will swamp a lot of our roads,” Lamont explained.
To keep yourself safe all officials are saying the time to prepare is now.