Hurricane Harvey will bring rain to Milam County

Hurricane Harvey, which strengthened into a Category 3 storm Friday afternoon, could drop between 3 and 7 inches of rain on Milam County this weekend.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Friday that the storm "is going to be a very major disaster."

At 2 p.m. Friday, Harvey had maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour and was moving to the northwest at 10 miles per hour.

As Hurricane Harvey approaches, Abbott today asked that all Texans heed the warnings of local officials, strongly consider all voluntary evacuation orders, and strictly comply with all mandatory evacuation orders. Communities along the Gulf Coast, specifically the Corpus Christi and the Houston areas, are at greatest risk of being impacted by this severe weather.
 
"My priority, as we prepare for Hurricane Harvey, is the safety of those on and near the Gulf Coast," said Governor Abbott. "That is why I am strongly urging all Texans in Harvey’s path to heed warnings and evacuation orders from local officials before this storm makes landfall. My office is coordinating local, state and federal resources to prepare for and respond decisively to this storm—Texans must also take action and treat this storm seriously."

Abbott has requested a presidential disaster declaration ahead of landfall.

“Granting this request will provide Texans the additional resources needed to protect themselves, their property and rebuild their lives if necessary after Hurricane Harvey," he said.

"I spoke with President Trump yesterday and am confident that he will move quickly to grant this request and provide the people of Texas with everything they need to recover from this storm.”

In Central Texas, rain is the primary concern with Harvey. Rainfall totals will vary across the area with cities and towns in Bosque, Mills, Hamilton, Hill, and San Saba Counties receiving the least amount of rain fall (between 1 and 3 inches of rain).

McLennan, Coryell, Limestone, Freestone, and Lampasas Counties should expected two to four inches of rain through Monday with wind gusts between 30 and 40 MPH.

The hardest hit areas of Central Texas will likely be in Bell, Falls, Milam, Robertson, and Leon Counties where three to seven inches of rain will be possible through early next week. Winds in these counties may also gusts near 40 MPH at times.

If you live in a flood prone area, take the day today to make sure you're prepared for the amount of rain we may see this weekend. Power outages in Central Texas are possible, but are not highly likely. Take caution if venturing outside Saturday and Sunday as standing water may be on many local roads and some low water crossings may be flooded. Do not drive through flooded roadways this weekend. As little as 6 inches of moving water can sweep a car off the road.