Hurricane Harvey — 2017
Harvey rapidly intensified over the western Gulf before making a Category 4 Texas landfall near Port Aransas on August 25. Its slow movement then produced days of exceptional rainfall and catastrophic flooding across Southeast Texas.
Where this record is anchored
Reference points show the Texas landfall area, Houston, and Nederland. They are not a storm track or flood boundary.
A defining Texas disaster record
Harvey combined a major-hurricane landfall with a prolonged rainfall disaster. The National Weather Service reported that approximately 46 percent of Southeast Texas river forecast points reached new record levels during the event.
What happened
Condensed from the official records linked below.
- Harvey regenerates
Harvey redeveloped over the Bay of Campeche and western Gulf, beginning a period of rapid strengthening.
- Category 4 Texas landfall
Harvey reached the Texas coast near Port Aransas around 10 p.m. CDT with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.
- Prolonged rainfall and flooding
The circulation slowed and meandered while repeated rain bands produced catastrophic flooding across Southeast Texas.
- Final Gulf Coast landfall
Harvey moved ashore again just west of Cameron, Louisiana, while heavy rainfall continued across the northern Gulf states.
What this record does—and does not—show
Reference points do not show the full wind, rainfall, surge, or flood footprint. Damage and casualty totals can vary by agency definition and report date; use the linked final reports for those figures.