Hurricane Harvey

{{main|Meteorological history of Hurricane Harvey}}

{{Storm path|Harvey 2017 path.png|left|300px|colors=new}}

A westward-moving tropical wave emerged from Africa over the eastern Atlantic Ocean on August 12. A surface circulation slowly developed and convection consolidated around the low over the subsequent days; the system became a tropical depression on August 17. Maintaining its brisk westward motion, the system strengthened slightly and became a tropical storm later that day, at which time it was assigned the name Harvey. With maximum sustained winds of {{convert|45|mph|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}}, Harvey made landfalls in Barbados and St. Vincent on August 18 before entering the Caribbean. Hostile environmental conditions, namely wind shear, imparted weakening and caused Harvey to degenerate into a tropical wave by August 19. Though it lacked an organized surface low, the remnants of Harvey continued to produce significant convection as it traversed the Caribbean Sea and Yucatán Peninsula. The system reached the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico on August 23 and soon consolidated around a new surface low.{{cite report |author1=Eric S. Blake |author2=David A. Zelinsky |publisher=National Hurricane Center |location=Miami, Florida |date=January 23, 2018 |access-date=January 29, 2018 |title=Hurricane Harvey (AL092017) |series=Tropical Cyclone Report |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092017_Harvey.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126083538/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092017_Harvey.pdf |archive-date=January 26, 2018 |url-status=live}}

Late on August 23, the remnants of Harvey regenerated into a tropical cyclone and re-attained tropical storm intensity by 18:00 UTC. Initial reorganization was slow; however, within a highly favorable environment, the system soon underwent rapid intensification as an eye developed and its central pressure quickly fell. After becoming a hurricane on August 24, Harvey continued to quickly strengthen over the next day, ultimately reaching peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane. Around 03:00 UTC on August 26, the hurricane made landfall at peak intensity on San Jose Island, just east of Rockport, with winds of {{convert|130|mph|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} and an atmospheric pressure of {{convert|937|mbar|inHg|lk=on|abbr=on}}. It made a second landfall on the Texas mainland, at Rockport, three hours later in a slightly weakened state. Harvey became the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Wilma in 2005.

File:NHQ 2017 0825 Space Station Cameras Peer down on Major Hurricane Harvey~orig.webm on August 25.]]

Once Harvey moved inland, it began to weaken rapidly as its speed slowed dramatically to a crawl, and Harvey weakened to a tropical storm on August 26. For about two days the storm stalled just inland, dropping very heavy rainfall and causing catastrophic flash flooding. Harvey's center drifted back towards the southeast, ultimately re-emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on August 28. Once offshore, the poorly organized system struggled against strong wind shear. Deep convection persisted north of the cyclone's center near the Houston metropolitan area along a stationary front, resulting in several days of record-breaking rain. Early on August 30, the former hurricane made its fifth and final landfall just west of Cameron, Louisiana, with winds of {{convert|45|mph|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}}. Associated convection with Harvey became focused north of the center and along a warm front on September 1 as it moved further inland, indicating that the system transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone by 06:00 UTC that day. The remnants continued northeastwards before being absorbed into another extratropical system on September 3.

File:Harvey 2017-08-18 Suomi NPP.jpg

Tropical cyclone warnings and watches for the Windward Islands were issued starting at 15:00 UTC on August 17, about six hours before Harvey developed. At that time, a tropical storm watch was posted for Dominica, while a tropical storm warning became in effect in Barbados, Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.{{cite report |first=John L. |last=Beven II |title=Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine Public Advisory Number 1 |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public.001.shtml |work=National Hurricane Center |publisher=United States Government |location=Miami, Florida |date=August 17, 2017 |access-date=August 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102094252/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public.001.shtml |archive-date=November 2, 2017 |url-status=live}} All watches and warnings were discontinued by late on August 18, as the storm continued westward into the Caribbean.{{cite report |first=John L. |last=Beven II |title=Tropical Storm Harvey Intermediate Advisory Number 5A |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public_a.005.shtml |work=National Hurricane Center |publisher=United States Government |location=Miami, Florida |date=August 18, 2017 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825104007/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public_a.005.shtml |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=live}}

In Honduras, a green alert was issued for the Atlántida, Islas de la Bahía, Colón, Cortés, Gracias a Dios, Olancho, and Yoro departments. About {{convert|8|in|mm}} of precipitation was expected along the coast, while inland areas were forecast to receive {{convert|2.76|to|3.15|in|mm|abbr=on}} of rain.{{cite news |url=http://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/1100324-410/harvey-copeco-hondureños-precauciones-ingreso |title=Harvey se acerca a Honduras como depresión tropical |date=August 19, 2017 |newspaper=La Prensa |publisher=Organización Publicitaria, S.A. |location=San Pedro Sula |access-date=August 28, 2017 |language=ES |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829230207/http://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/1100324-410/harvey-copeco-hondure%C3%B1os-precauciones-ingreso |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} As the remnants of Harvey approached Mexico, the Civil Protection Secretary of the state of Campeche issued a blue alert, indicating minimal danger.{{cite news |url=http://tribunacampeche.com/local/2017/08/21/levantan-la-alerta-azul-tormenta-harvey/ |title=Levantan la alerta azul Tormenta Harvey |date=August 21, 2017 |newspaper=Tribuna de Campeche |location=Campeche |access-date=August 28, 2017 |language=ES |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829032454/http://tribunacampeche.com/local/2017/08/21/levantan-la-alerta-azul-tormenta-harvey/ |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} When Harvey redeveloped at 15:00 UTC on August 23, the Government of Mexico issued a tropical storm watch in Tamaulipas from Boca De Catan to the mouth of the Rio Grande.{{cite report |first=Eric S. |last=Blake |title=Tropical Depression Harvey Advisory Number 12 |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public.012.shtml? |work=National Hurricane Center |publisher=United States Government |location=Miami, Florida |date=August 23, 2017 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826035401/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public.012.shtml |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |url-status=live}} The watch remained in effect until 21:00 UTC on August 25, after it became evident that the storm no longer posed a significant threat to that area.{{cite report |first=Robbie J. |last=Berg |title=Tropical Storm Harvey Advisory Number 22 |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public.022.shtml? |work=National Hurricane Center |publisher=United States Government |location=Miami, Florida |date=August 25, 2017 |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827230055/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public.022.shtml |archive-date=August 27, 2017 |url-status=live}}

FEMA worked with the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to prepare for the storm and its aftermath. The agency placed disaster response teams on standby at emergency posts in Austin, Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/us/politics/trump-hurricane-texas-fema.html?mcubz=0 |title=Trump Administration Prepares for Hurricane Harvey |date=August 25, 2017 |first=Nicholas |last=Fandos |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=August 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826075439/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/us/politics/trump-hurricane-texas-fema.html?mcubz=0 |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Upon the NHC resuming advisories for Harvey at 15:00 UTC on August 23, a hurricane watch was issued in Texas from Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass, while a tropical storm watch was posted from Port Mansfield south to the mouth of the Rio Grande and from San Luis Pass to High Island. Additionally, a storm surge watch became in effect from Port Mansfield to High Island. Additional watches and warnings were posted in these areas at 09:00 UTC on August 24, with a hurricane warning from Port Mansfield to Matagorda; a tropical storm warning from Matagorda to High Island; a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning from Port Mansfield to the Rio Grande; a storm surge warning from Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass; and a storm surge watch from Port Mansfield to the Rio Grande. As the hurricane neared landfall on August 24, an extreme wind warning—indicating an immediate threat of 115–145 mph (185–235 km/h) winds—was issued for areas expected to be impacted by the eyewall; this included parts of Aransas, Calhoun, Nueces, Refugio, and San Patricio counties.{{cite report |url=http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/vtec/#2017-O-NEW-KCRP-EW-W-0001/USCOMP-N0Q-201708252155 |title=Severe Weather Statement: Extreme Wind Warning |date=August 24, 2017 |publisher=Iowa Environmental Mesonet National Weather Service |work=National Weather Service in Corpus Christi, Texas |access-date=February 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419050352/http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/vtec/#2017-O-NEW-KCRP-EW-W-0001/USCOMP-N0Q-201708252155 |archive-date=April 19, 2011 |url-status=live}} The watches and warnings were adjusted accordingly after Harvey moved inland and began weakening, with the warning discontinued at 15:00 UTC on August 26. By 09:00 UTC on the following day, only a tropical storm warning and a storm surge warning remained in effect from Port O'Connor to Sargent. However, watches and warnings were re-issued as Harvey began to re-emerge into the Gulf of Mexico, and beginning at 15:00 UTC on August 28, a tropical storm warning was in effect for the entire Gulf Coast of Texas from High Island northward.

Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for 30 counties on August 23, while mandatory evacuations were issued for Calhoun, Jackson, Refugio, San Patricio, and Victoria counties, as well as parts of Brazoria, and Matagorda counties.{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/harvey-expected-make-landfall-major-hurricane/story?id=49397270 |title=Harvey expected to make landfall as a major hurricane |first=M. L. |last=Nestel |publisher=ABC News |location=New York City |date=August 25, 2017 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825002207/https://abcnews.go.com/US/harvey-expected-make-landfall-major-hurricane/story?id=49397270 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=live}} On August 26, Governor Abbott added an additional 20 counties to the state of emergency declaration.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/26/texas-cities-catastrophic-flooding-hurricane-harvey |first1=Tom |last1=Dart |first2=Edward |last2=Helmore |title=Hurricane Harvey: at least one dead in Texas as storm moves inland |date=August 26, 2017 |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=August 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827022704/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/26/texas-cities-catastrophic-flooding-hurricane-harvey |archive-date=August 27, 2017 |url-status=live}} Furthermore, the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters was activated by the USGS on behalf of the Governor's Texas Emergency Management Council, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management, thus providing for humanitarian satellite coverage.{{cite web |url=https://disasterscharter.org/web/guest/-/cyclone-in-united-states-call-626-?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fdisasterscharter.org%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fhome%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_F1SeOJT57fTb%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_pos%3D2%26p_p_col_count%3D4 |title=Cyclone in the U.S. |date=August 24, 2017 |work=International Charter on Space and Major Disasters |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829230058/https://disasterscharter.org/web/guest/-/cyclone-in-united-states-call-626-?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fdisasterscharter.org%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fhome%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_F1SeOJT57fTb%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_pos%3D2%26p_p_col_count%3D4 |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=dead}}

In Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state. A mandatory evacuation was ordered in Cameron Parish for the cities of Big Lake, Cameron, Creole, Grand Chenier, Hackberry, Holly Beach, and Johnson Bayou. Additionally, a voluntary evacuation was ordered in Vermilion Parish for low-lying areas south of State Highway 14. The Louisiana National Guard prepared about 500,000 sandbags and emergency boats and high-water-rescue vehicles were placed on standby should flooding occur. In New Orleans, there were concerns about whether or not the city's drainage system could handle a heavy rainfall event, with only 105 of the 120 water pumps being operational and some power turbines being out of service.{{cite news |url=https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-harvey-louisiana-new-orleans-impacts |author=James Crugnale |work=The Weather Channel |location=Atlanta |title=Hurricane Harvey: Louisiana Gov. Urges Residents to Remain Vigilant as Storm Strikes Texas |date=August 25, 2017 |access-date=August 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826033312/https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-harvey-louisiana-new-orleans-impacts |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |url-status=live}} The city's public schools, as well as six universities and a medical school, closed on August 29.{{cite news |first1=Jeff |last1=Amy |first2=Michael |last2=Kunzelman |title=Haunted by Katrina's memory, Louisiana now faces Harvey |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-harvey-louisiana-flooding-20170829-story.html |access-date=August 29, 2017 |agency=Associated Press |work=Chicago Tribune |date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829231214/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-harvey-louisiana-flooding-20170829-story.html |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} As Harvey began re-emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on August 28, the tropical storm warning in Texas from Mesquite Bay to High Island was extended eastward into Louisiana to the community of Cameron at 12:00 UTC, while a tropical storm watch was issued from Cameron to Intracoastal City.

File:8-25-17- White House Press Briefing.webm|Comments from the White House (begin at 25:50)

File:NWS Director Louis Uccellini on Hurricane Harvey.webm|Comments from National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini

File:FEMA Accessible Hurricane Harvey - Shelter in Place.webm|Shelter in place briefing by FEMA

File:Harvey Downgraded to Tropical Storm, 'Dramatic Flooding' a Concern.webmhd.webm|Comments by the Governor of Texas

Winds left residents throughout Barbados without electricity, with a majority of outages occurring in Christ Church, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, and Saint Michael provinces. Flooding washed one house off its foundation, while water entered some houses, forcing some people to evacuate. Bridges in Saint Andrew and Saint Joseph were damaged. Additionally, a fuel depot in Speightstown was flooded. Winds from Harvey ripped the roof off a church.{{cite report |url=http://reliefweb.int/report/barbados/cdema-situation-report-1-tropical-storm-harvey-400pm-august-18th-2017 |title=CDEMA Situation Report #1 – Tropical Storm Harvey – as of 4:00pm on August 18th, 2017 |date=August 18, 2017 |work=Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency |publisher=ReliefWeb |location=New York City |access-date=August 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825062929/http://reliefweb.int/report/barbados/cdema-situation-report-1-tropical-storm-harvey-400pm-august-18th-2017 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=live}} In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, nine homes were flooded and four others experienced wind damage. Also, a tree fell on a school, damaging the building. Blocked drains in Port Elizabeth resulted in more than 15 businesses being flooded. A total of 15 people were housed in shelters after the storm.{{cite report |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/saint-vincent-and-grenadines/cdema-situation-report-2-tropical-storm-harvey-1100am-august |title=CDEMA Situation Report #2 - Tropical Storm Harvey - as of 11:00am on August 22nd, 2017 |date=August 22, 2017 |work=Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency |publisher=ReliefWeb |location=New York City |access-date=August 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824000211/http://reliefweb.int/report/saint-vincent-and-grenadines/cdema-situation-report-2-tropical-storm-harvey-1100am-august |archive-date=August 24, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Strong winds and heavy rainfall also affected Suriname and Guyana. In the former, high winds in the capital city of Paramaribo caused roof damage to the Presidential Palace and two homes, while the Torarica Hotel and Casino suffered structural impact. Additionally, four dwellings were deroofed in Commewijne and three others lost their roofs in Wanica; in the latter, the Ministry of Social Affairs building was damaged by falling trees. In Guyana, the village of Jawalla bore the brunt of the storm. Four homes were demolished, while five other residences and two shops were damaged. Several public buildings were also damaged, including the community center, the village council buildings, the nursery, and public schools. A 29-year-old woman died after her house collapsed on her.

File:Harvey RBTOP 20170825 1915 UTC.gif

{{See also|List of United States tornadoes from August to October 2017#August 25 event}}

The widespread and catastrophic effects of Hurricane Harvey resulted in one of the costliest natural disasters in United States history. An estimated 300,000 structures and 500,000 vehicles were damaged or destroyed in Texas alone. The storm also spawned 53 tornadoes across six states. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated total damage at $125 billion, with a 90% confidence interval of $90–160 billion. The scope of flooding in areas with low National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) participation lends to the large uncertainty in the damage total. This ranks Harvey as the costliest tropical cyclone on record in the country alongside Hurricane Katrina in 2005. However, accounting for inflation and cost increases since 2005, the National Hurricane Center considers Harvey the second-costliest. Harvey was the costliest natural disaster recorded in Texas at the time,{{cite web |url=https://www.mma-pllc.com/5-natural-disasters-in-texas-over-the-years/ |title=5 natural disasters in Texas over the years |website=mma-pllc.com |author= |publisher=McClenny, Moseley & Associates, PLLC |date=April 24, 2020 |access-date=March 5, 2021}} until it was surpassed in February 2021 by a severe winter storm that crippled the state's power grid, which was estimated to have cost at least $195 billion (2021 USD) in damages in Texas.{{cite report |url=https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/HSEM/2021-Winter-Storm-Uri-AAR-Findings-Report.pdf |title=2021 Winter Storm Uri After-Action Review: Findings Report |author= |publisher=City of Austin & Travis County |date=November 4, 2021 |access-date=November 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105210936/https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/HSEM/2021-Winter-Storm-Uri-AAR-Findings-Report.pdf |archive-date=November 5, 2021 |url-status=live}} Nationwide, 107 people died in storm-related incidents: 103 in Texas, 2 in Arkansas, 1 in Tennessee, and 1 in Kentucky. Of the deaths in Texas, 68 were from the direct effects of Harvey, the highest such number in the state since 1919.

{{main|Effects of Hurricane Harvey in Texas}}

File:Support during Hurricane Harvey (TX) (50).jpg, on August 31.]]

Twenty-two weak tornadoes touched down throughout the state. An EF1 tornado near Fresno caused some minor injuries.

Throughout Texas, approximately 336,000 people were left without electricity and tens of thousands required rescue. Throughout the state, 103 people died in storm-related incidents: 68 from its direct effects, including flooding, and 35 from indirect effects in the hurricane's aftermath. By August 29, 2017, approximately 13,000 people had been rescued across the state while an estimated 30,000 were displaced.{{cite news |author=Kevin Sullivan, Arelis R. Hernandez and David A. Fahrenthold |agency=Washington Post |work=Chicago Tribune |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |title=Harvey leaving record rainfall, at least 22 deaths behind in Houston |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-hurricane-harvey-flooding-houston-20170829-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829231800/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-hurricane-harvey-flooding-houston-20170829-story.html |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} The refinery industry capacity was reduced, and oil and gas production was affected in the Gulf of Mexico and inland Texas.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-energy-idUSKCN1B70YQ |title=Harvey throws a wrench into U.S. energy engine |first1=Ernest |last1=Scheyder |first2=Erwin |last2=Seba |date=August 28, 2017 |work=Reuters |location=Canary Wharf, London |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828022333/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-energy-idUSKCN1B70YQ |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-nasa-jet-epa-hurricane-harvey-20190305-story.html |title=Post-Hurricane Harvey, NASA tried to fly a pollution-spotting plane over Houston. The EPA said no |last2=Sahagún |first2=Louis |last1=Rust |first1=Susanne |date=March 5, 2019 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=March 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306063842/https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-nasa-jet-epa-hurricane-harvey-20190305-story.html |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |url-status=live}} On Monday, the closure of oil refineries ahead of Hurricane Harvey created a fuel shortage. Panicked motorists waited in long lines. Consequently, gas stations through the state were forced to close due to the rush.{{cite news |title=Harvey's toll on refineries sparks widespread gasoline shortages, price hikes |url=http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Gasoline-shortages-in-Houston-and-beyond-are-12164762.php |work=Houston Chronicle |location=Houston |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901000953/http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Gasoline-shortages-in-Houston-and-beyond-are-12164762.php |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}} More than 20 percent of refining capacity was affected.{{cite web |url=http://oil-price.net/en/articles/hurricanes-impact-oil-prices.php |title=Impact of Hurricanes on oil prices |website=oil-price.net |date=September 18, 2017 |access-date=September 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919005519/http://oil-price.net/en/articles/hurricanes-impact-oil-prices.php |archive-date=September 19, 2017 |url-status=live}}

More than 48,700 homes were affected by Harvey throughout the state, including over 1,000 that were completely destroyed and more than 17,000 that sustained major damage; approximately 32,000 sustained minor damage. Nearly 700 businesses were damaged as well.{{cite news |title=The Latest: Death toll 31 as 6 more fatalities confirmed |url=https://apnews.com/44af0775d467489f97ab0cdc5baad737/The-Latest:-Death-toll-31-as-6-more-fatalities-confirmed |work=Associated Press |location=New York City |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831173522/https://apnews.com/44af0775d467489f97ab0cdc5baad737/The-Latest:-Death-toll-31-as-6-more-fatalities-confirmed |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}} Yet the Texas Department of Public Safety stated more than 185,000 homes were damaged and 9,000 destroyed.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/01/hurricane-harvey-death-toll-rises-houston-residents-return |title=Houston residents begin 'massive' cleanup as Harvey death toll hits 45 |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901200210/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/01/hurricane-harvey-death-toll-rises-houston-residents-return |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}

The hurricane also caused many people to believe that in the wild, only 10 individuals of Attwater's prairie chicken remained at most{{cite news |url=http://www.audubon.org/news/how-hurricane-harvey-affected-birds-and-their-habitats-texas |title=How Hurricane Harvey Affected Birds and Their Habitats in Texas |author=Asher Elbein |publisher=National Audubon Society |date=September 25, 2017 |access-date=May 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707153252/https://www.audubon.org/news/how-hurricane-harvey-affected-birds-and-their-habitats-texas |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |url-status=live}} until Spring 2018, when it was discovered that there were about a dozen wild individuals left.{{cite news |url=http://www.fortbendstar.com/attwaters-prairie-chickens-dealt-critical-blow-by-hurricane-harvey/ |title=Attwater's prairie chickens dealt critical blow by Hurricane Harvey |author=Joe Southern |work=Ford Bend Star |date=April 3, 2018 |access-date=February 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615111045/http://www.fortbendstar.com/attwaters-prairie-chickens-dealt-critical-blow-by-hurricane-harvey/ |archive-date=June 15, 2018 |url-status=live}}

File:Harvey AVN 20170830 0145 UTC.gif on August 30]]

Heavy rainfall extended eastward into Louisiana, with the state recording up to {{convert|14.88|in|mm|abbr=on}} of precipitation near the town of Iowa.{{cite report |url=http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/winter_storm_summaries/storm19/stormsum_15.html |title=Storm Summary Number 15 for Tropical Storm Harvey Rainfall and Wind |work=Weather Prediction Center |publisher=United States Government |location=College Park, Maryland |first=Jennifer |last=Tate |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830103813/http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/winter_storm_summaries/storm19/stormsum_15.html |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} In the city of Lake Charles, flood waters reached {{convert|4|ft|m|abbr=on}} in height in some areas, with homes inundated and hundreds of people forced to evacuate in one neighborhood alone. Throughout the state, about 500 people were rescued by August 28, while 269 people went to a shelter in southwest Louisiana, about 200 of whom were rescued from their homes.{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/louisiana-begins-evacuations-harvey-12-year-anniversary-hurricane/story?id=49485519 |title=Louisiana begins evacuations for Harvey on 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina |date=August 29, 2017 |newspaper=ABC News |author=Kelly McCarthy |author2=Julia Jacobo |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829145256/https://abcnews.go.com/US/louisiana-begins-evacuations-harvey-12-year-anniversary-hurricane/story?id=49485519 |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} An EF2 tornado near Evangeline damaged four homes, one of which was destroyed. The tornado also damaged fences, a motorcycle, a pickup truck, and toppled three electrical poles.{{cite report |url=http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=LCH&product=PNS&issuedby=LCH&pid=201708301642 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903000448/http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=LCH&product=PNS&issuedby=LCH&pid=201708301642 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |title=Public Information Statement |date=August 31, 2017 |publisher=National Weather Service Lake Charles, Louisiana |access-date=September 1, 2017}}

File:Harvey 2017 rainfall.gif

Rain-slicked roads were blamed for two fatal accidents in Arkansas.{{cite news |author=Brandon Riddle |newspaper=Arkansas Online |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Police: Boy killed after vehicle leaves rain-soaked Arkansas road, strikes tree |url=http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/aug/31/police-minor-driver-killed-after-vehicle-leaves-ra/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206131406/http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/aug/31/police-minor-driver-killed-after-vehicle-leaves-ra/ |archive-date=February 6, 2018 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |author=Emma Pettit |newspaper=Arkansas Online |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Pickup driver, 21, killed in head-on collision on wet highway in Arkansas |url=http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/aug/31/arkansas-man-21-killed-after-pickup-collides-head-/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904102357/http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/aug/31/arkansas-man-21-killed-after-pickup-collides-head-/ |archive-date=September 4, 2017 |url-status=live}} In Alabama, an unusually large, long-tracked EF2 tornado in the vicinity of Reform and Palmetto damaged two homes and destroyed a barn along SR 17, while four people were hospitalized for their injuries. The same tornado also caused damage to trees and roofs in Lamar County near Kennedy and additional damage in Fayette County, causing two more injuries.{{cite news |url=http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20170831/tornado-causes-damage-in-pickens-county |title=Tornado causes damage in Pickens County |date=August 31, 2017 |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |author=Stephanie Taylor |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901021958/http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20170831/tornado-causes-damage-in-pickens-county |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite report |author=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Birmingham, Alabama |title=Alabama Event Report: EF2 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=719412 |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |year=2017 |access-date=November 17, 2017}}{{cite report |author=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Birmingham, Alabama |title=Alabama Event Report: EF0 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=719421 |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |year=2017 |access-date=November 17, 2017}}
{{cite report |author=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Birmingham, Alabama |title=Alabama Event Report: EF1 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=719987 |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |year=2017 |access-date=November 17, 2017}} Another EF2 tornado in Arab destroyed chicken houses and damaged homes and trees.{{cite report |author=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Huntsville, Alabama |title=Alabama Event Report: EF2 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=711793 |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |year=2017 |access-date=November 17, 2017}}{{cite report |author=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Huntsville, Alabama |title=Alabama Event Report: EF1 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=711794 |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |year=2017 |access-date=November 17, 2017}} In Tennessee, more than 19,000 people lost electricity in Memphis.{{cite news |url=https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/beaumont-texas-loses-water-supply-due-to-neches-river-flooding |title=Harvey Beyond Houston: Possible Tornado Causes Damage in Alabama; Tennessee Flooding Prompts Evacuations |date=September 1, 2017 |newspaper=The Weather Channel |author=Eric Chaney |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901025413/https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/beaumont-texas-loses-water-supply-due-to-neches-river-flooding |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}} Low-lying streets in the area were inundated with water. One indirect death occurred in Memphis due to a weather-related head-on collision of a car and a tractor trailer on Interstate 40.{{cite news |url=http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/harvey_brings_destruction_thro.html |title=Harvey brings destruction through Alabama to Tennessee |date=September 1, 2017 |newspaper=The Birmingham News |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901160919/http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/harvey_brings_destruction_thro.html |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}} Heavy rainfall in Nashville inundated a number of roads and flooded an apartment complex, resulting in the evacuation of 13 people. Overall, about 50 people in the city evacuated from flooded areas.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/09/01/harvey-remnants-flood-tennessee-kentucky-irma-picks-up-steam-crossing-atlantic/624205001/ |title=Harvey floods Tennessee, Kentucky, as Hurricane Irma spins up in the Atlantic |author=Bart Jansen |date=September 1, 2017 |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901182735/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/09/01/harvey-remnants-flood-tennessee-kentucky-irma-picks-up-steam-crossing-atlantic/624205001/ |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}} An EF1 tornado also touched down in the northeastern side of the city, damaging trees, homes, carports, and power lines.{{cite report |author=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Nashville, Tennessee |title=Tennessee Event Report: EF1 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=719854 |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |year=2017 |access-date=November 17, 2017}} An additional EF0 tornado on the southeastern side of the city damaged trees, a carport, a warehouse, and a garage, while also flipping an 18-wheeler.{{cite report |author=National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Nashville, Tennessee |title=Tennessee Event Report: EF0 Tornado |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=719856 |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |year=2017 |access-date=November 17, 2017}} Rain in Kentucky was blamed for a fatal car accident.{{cite news |publisher=WKYT |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 2, 2017 |title=1 person killed in crash on I-40 in Shelby County |url=http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Deadly-accident-closes-lanes-on-I-75-in-Laurel-County-442475333.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901231733/http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Deadly-accident-closes-lanes-on-I-75-in-Laurel-County-442475333.html |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}

On September 1, the outer bands of Harvey's remnants passed through North Carolina. Severe weather was reported across the central part of the state. High wind knocked out power in Fuquay-Varina, Sanford, and Holly Springs, and large hail hit parts of Wake, Harnett, and Johnston counties. In Willow Spring, hail larger than softballs damaged homes and cars. Flash flooding hit Greenville further east. Tornadoes were also reported in Angier, Clayton, and Smithfield, but they were unconfirmed.

{{see also|2017 Arkema plant explosion}}

Energy production in the Gulf of Mexico declined in the wake of Harvey by approximately 21% — the output dropped to 378,633 barrels per day from the original 1.75 million barrels of oil produced each day. The Eagle Ford Rock Formation (shale oil and gas) in southern Texas reduced production by 300,000 to 500,000 bpd, according to the Texas Railroad Commission. Many energy-related ports and terminals closed, delaying about fourteen crude oil tankers. About 2.25 million bpd of refining capacity was offline for several days; that is about 12% of total US capacity, with refineries affected at Corpus Christi, and later Port Arthur and Beaumont, and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The price of Brent crude versus West Texas Intermediate crude oil achieved a split of U.S. $5.{{cite web |url=https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/us-hurricane-harvey-s-toll-texas-energy |title=U.S.: Hurricane Harvey's Toll on Texas Energy |publisher=Stratfor |date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830152229/https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/us-hurricane-harvey-s-toll-texas-energy |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Two ExxonMobil refineries had to be shut down following related storm damage and releases of hazardous pollutants.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/29/exxonmobil-refineries-damaged-in-hurricane-harvey-releasing-hazardous-pollutants |title=ExxonMobil refineries are damaged in Hurricane Harvey, releasing hazardous pollutants |date=August 29, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829194723/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/29/exxonmobil-refineries-damaged-in-hurricane-harvey-releasing-hazardous-pollutants/ |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} Two oil storage tanks owned by Burlington Resources Oil and Gas collectively spilled 30,000 gallons of crude in DeWitt County. An additional 8,500 gallons of wastewater was spilled in the incidents.{{cite news |newspaper=Miami Herald |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=The Latest: Death toll 31 as 6 more fatalities confirmed |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article170147332.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904225822/http://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article170147332.html |archive-date=September 4, 2017 |url-status=live}}

On August 30, the CEO of Arkema warned one of its chemical plants in Crosby, Texas, could explode or be subject to intense fire due to the loss of "critical refrigeration" of materials.{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/harvey-aftershock-chemical-plant-near-houston-could-explode-ceo-says |title=Harvey aftershock: Chemical plant near Houston could explode, CEO says |date=August 30, 2017 |publisher=Fox News Channel |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831042023/http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/30/harvey-aftershock-chemical-plant-near-houston-could-explode-ceo-says.html |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}} All workers at the facility and residents within {{convert|1.5|mi|km|abbr=on}} were evacuated. Eight of the plant's nine refrigeration units failed without power, enabling the stored chemicals to decompose and become combustible. Two explosions occurred around 2:00 a.m. on August 31; 21 emergency personnel were briefly hospitalized.{{cite news |work=The New York Times |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Harvey Live Updates: In Crosby, Texas, Blasts at a Chemical Plant and More Are Feared |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/harvey-houston-texas-flood.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831131428/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/harvey-houston-texas-flood.html |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Due to the shutdown in refineries, gas prices did see an increase nationwide.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-energy/texas-refineries-begin-restart-after-hit-from-harvey-idUSKCN1BD0B9 |title=Texas refineries begin restart after hit from Harvey |work=Reuters |date=September 2, 2017 |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903063939/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-energy/texas-refineries-begin-restart-after-hit-from-harvey-idUSKCN1BD0B9 |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |url-status=live}} However, the increase was not as extensive as Hurricane Katrina.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gas-prices-up-to-2-year-high-after-hurricane-harvey/ |title=Gas prices up to 2-year high after Hurricane Harvey |work=CBS News |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903225719/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gas-prices-up-to-2-year-high-after-hurricane-harvey/ |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |url-status=live}} Additionally, Harvey's impact coincided with Labor Day Weekend, which sees a traditional increase in gas prices due to the heavy travel for that weekend.{{cite news |url=http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2017/09/harvey_spikes_nj_gas_prices_ahead_of_holiday_weekend_how_high_will_they_go.html |title=Harvey spikes N.J. gas prices ahead of holiday weekend. How high will they go? |publisher=NJ.com |date=September 2017 |access-date=September 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903225708/http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2017/09/harvey_spikes_nj_gas_prices_ahead_of_holiday_weekend_how_high_will_they_go.html |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |url-status=live}} Nonetheless, the spike brought the highest gas prices in two years.

File:Astros_Strong.png.]]

The flooding in Houston from the storm required the traditional Governor's Cup National Football League preseason game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans scheduled for August 31 to be moved from NRG Stadium in Houston to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.{{cite news |title=Cowboys-Texans game relocated to AT&T Stadium |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/cowboys-texans-game-relocated-to-at-t-stadium-0ap3000000836313 |publisher=NFL |date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829044254/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000836313/article/cowboystexans-game-relocated-to-att-stadium |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} The game was later canceled to allow the Houston Texans players to return to Houston after the storm.{{cite news |author=Jori Epstein |title=Cowboys-Texans game canceled to give Houston players chance to go home after Harvey |work=The Dallas Morning News |date=August 30, 2017 |url=https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2017/08/28/cowboys-texans-officially-relocate-thursdays-nfl-preseason-game-att-stadium-houston |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831225717/https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2017/08/28/cowboys-texans-officially-relocate-thursdays-nfl-preseason-game-att-stadium-houston |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=dead}} In addition, the Houston Astros were forced to move their August 29–31 series with the Texas Rangers from Minute Maid Park in Houston to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida;{{cite news |url=http://www.astros.mlb.com/news/article/251073866/astros-to-play-at-rays-ballpark-due-to-storm |title=TEX-HOU moved to Rays' park; millions donated |publisher=MLB |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830144859/http://m.astros.mlb.com/news/article/251073866/astros-to-play-at-rays-ballpark-due-to-storm/ |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} ironically, just two weeks later, Hurricane Irma would force the stadium's regular tenants, the Tampa Bay Rays, to move three home games to Citi Field in New York City.{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20636736/new-york-yankees-tampa-bay-rays-play-citi-field-due-potential-impact-hurricane-irma |title=Yanks-Rays series off to Citi Field due to Irma |date=September 8, 2017 |access-date=September 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909001606/http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20636736/new-york-yankees-tampa-bay-rays-play-citi-field-due-potential-impact-hurricane-irma |archive-date=September 9, 2017 |url-status=live}} In the aftermath, the Houston Astros began to wear patches which had the logo of the team with the word "Strong" on the bottom of the patch, as well as promoting the hashtag Houston Strong, prominently displaying them as the Astros won the 2017 World Series.{{cite news |last=Pingue |first=Frank |title=Astros give Houston boost during Hurricane Harvey recovery |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-baseball-mlb-worldseries-hou-harvey/astros-give-houston-boost-during-hurricane-harvey-recovery-idUSKBN1CS1QH |work=Reuters |date=October 23, 2017 |access-date=October 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107025834/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-baseball-mlb-worldseries-hou-harvey/astros-give-houston-boost-during-hurricane-harvey-recovery-idUSKBN1CS1QH |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last=Dart |first=Tom |title=World Series unites Houston as road to hurricane recovery winds on |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/27/world-series-unites-houston-as-road-to-hurricane-recovery-winds-on |newspaper=The Guardian |date=October 28, 2017 |access-date=October 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029062334/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/27/world-series-unites-houston-as-road-to-hurricane-recovery-winds-on |archive-date=October 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} Manager A. J. Hinch has stated in an interview that the team wasn't just playing for a title, but to help boost moral support for the city.{{cite news |last=Baxter |first=Kevin |title=Astros playing for more than a title in hurricane-ravaged Houston |url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/mlb/la-sp-astros-report-20171028-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 28, 2017 |access-date=October 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030013155/http://www.latimes.com/sports/mlb/la-sp-astros-report-20171028-story.html |archive-date=October 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} The annual Texas Kickoff game that was to feature BYU and LSU to kick off the 2017 college football season was moved to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.{{cite news |url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/8/27/16210992/hurricane-harvey-lsu-byu-game-houston-2017 |title=LSU-BYU game moving from Houston to New Orleans |work=SB Nation |date=August 27, 2017 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829033144/https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/8/27/16210992/hurricane-harvey-lsu-byu-game-houston-2017 |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} The NCAA FBS football game between Houston and UTSA was postponed due to the aftermath of the storm. It was originally scheduled for September 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio and was ultimately canceled.{{cite news |url=http://www.uhcougars.com/genrel/082917aab.html |title=No Houston Teams to Compete This Weekend |website=UHCOUGARS.com |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830002219/http://www.uhcougars.com/genrel/082917aab.html |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}

The Houston Dynamo rescheduled a planned Major League Soccer match against Sporting Kansas City on August 26 to October 11. The Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League rescheduled their August 27 match against the North Carolina Courage to a later date.{{cite news |author=Corey Roepken |date=August 25, 2017 |title=Dynamo, Dash games postponed due to Hurricane Harvey |url=http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Dynamo-Dash-games-postponed-due-Hurricane-Harvey-11957958.php |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901230054/http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Dynamo-Dash-games-postponed-due-Hurricane-Harvey-11957958.php |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}} Both teams moved their training camps to Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas (near Dallas) while preparing for their next matches; the Dash's match the following week, against the Seattle Reign, was played in Frisco, with all proceeds from ticket sales benefiting an American Red Cross relief fund for hurricane victims.{{cite news |date=August 30, 2017 |title=Houston Dynamo & Dash to train in North Texas for remainder of the week |url=https://www.houstondynamo.com/post/2017/08/30/houston-dynamo-dash-train-north-texas-remainder-week |publisher=Houston Dynamo |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901025701/https://www.houstondynamo.com/post/2017/08/30/houston-dynamo-dash-train-north-texas-remainder-week |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}} The Dynamo and Major League Soccer also donated a combined $1 million into the hurricane relief fund, while also opening BBVA Compass Stadium to accept donated supplies for processing and distribution.{{cite news |author=Corey Roepken |date=August 31, 2017 |title=Dynamo, MLS combine for $1 million Hurricane Harvey donation |url=http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Dynamo-MLS-combine-for-1-million-Hurricane-Harvey-12165107.php |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831224201/http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Dynamo-MLS-combine-for-1-million-Hurricane-Harvey-12165107.php |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |date=August 30, 2017 |title=BBVA Compass Stadium at capacity; no longer collecting donations for storm relief |url=https://www.houstondynamo.com/post/2017/08/30/bbva-compass-stadium-capacity-no-longer-collecting-donations-storm-relief |publisher=Houston Dynamo |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901022047/https://www.houstondynamo.com/post/2017/08/30/bbva-compass-stadium-capacity-no-longer-collecting-donations-storm-relief |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Athletic events were rescheduled as far away as Kentucky, where the storm's remnants were expected to cause heavy rains on September 1, interfering with Friday night high school football. More than 50 high schools in the state moved games that had been scheduled for Friday to either Thursday or Saturday.{{cite news |url=http://www.kentucky.com/sports/high-school/prep-football/article170162842.html |title=List of high school football games moving due to Hurricane Harvey weather system |author=Josh Moore |newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader |location=Lexington, Kentucky |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901105911/http://www.kentucky.com/sports/high-school/prep-football/article170162842.html |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}

File:President Trump Participates in a Tour of the Emergency Operations Center.webm{{cite news |url=https://news.detik.com/internasional/d-3624834/trump-sumbangkan-rp-13-miliar-untuk-korban-badai-harvey |title=Trump Sumbangkan Rp 13 Miliar untuk Korban Badai Harvey |website=detik.com |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 5, 2021}}]]

File:Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Says Houston Begins Recovery Mission - Morning Joe - MSNBC.ogg and Al Sharpton on September 1, 2017 – from MSNBC]]

File:Hurricane Harvey (2017) 170828-Z-FG822-026 (36127995543).jpg

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner imposed a mandatory curfew on August 29 from midnight to 5 a.m. local time until further notice. He cited looting as the primary reason for the curfew.{{cite news |author=Blair Shiff |author2=Julia Jacobo |author3=Emily Shapiro |work=ABC News |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |title=Houston mayor imposes curfew to prevent potential looting |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/houston-police-chief-warns-robbers-dont-houston-caught/story?id=49493765 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829220323/https://abcnews.go.com/US/houston-police-chief-warns-robbers-dont-houston-caught/story?id=49493765 |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} On August 29, President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz toured damage in the Corpus Christi metropolitan area.{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-surveys-harvey-damage-calls-for-recovery-better-than-ever-before |title=Trump surveys Harvey damage, calls for recovery 'better than ever before' |date=August 29, 2017 |publisher=Fox News Channel |author=Alex Pappas |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829220537/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/29/trump-lands-in-texas-to-tour-hurricane-damage.html |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}} President Trump made a formal request for $5.95 billion in federal funding on August 31 for affected areas, the vast majority of which would go to FEMA.{{cite news |author=Perry Chiaramonte |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |title=Trump pushing for $6 billion in Harvey recovery funding |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-pushing-for-6-billion-in-harvey-recovery-funding |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901055419/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/09/01/trump-pushing-for-6-billion-in-harvey-recovery-funding.html |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Texas Governor Greg Abbott deployed the state's entire National Guard for search and rescue, recovery, and clean up operations due to the devastating damage caused by the storm and resulting floods.{{cite press release |url=https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-activates-entire-texas-national-guard-in-response-to-hurric |title=Governor Abbott Activates Entire Texas National Guard In Response To Hurricane Harvey Devastation |website=Office of the Texas Governor |date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829105838/https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-activates-entire-texas-national-guard-in-response-to-hurric |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |author=Leada Gore |url=http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/hurricane_harvey_latest_foreca.html |title=Hurricane Harvey latest forecast: Texas National Guard activated; Trump responds; how to help |website=AL.com |date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830213109/http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/hurricane_harvey_latest_foreca.html |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} Other states' National Guard's have offered assistance, with several having already been sent.{{cite news |author=Jake Lowary |url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/08/29/hurricane-harvey-tennessee-national-guard-response-ready/613672001/ |title=Tennessee National Guard: We're ready for Hurricane Harvey response |work=Tennessean |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017}}{{cite news |author=Scott Wise |url=http://wtvr.com/2017/08/30/va-national-guard-helps-hurricane-harvey-recovery/ |title=Virginia National Guard helps Hurricane Harvey recovery |publisher=WTVR |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831005055/http://wtvr.com/2017/08/30/va-national-guard-helps-hurricane-harvey-recovery/ |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}} Meanwhile, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement assigned approximately 150 employees from around the country to assist with disaster relief efforts, while stating that no immigration enforcement operations would be conducted.

Approximately 32,000 people were displaced in shelters across the state by August 31. The George R. Brown Convention Center, the state's largest shelter, reached capacity with 8,000 evacuees. The NRG Center opened as a large public shelter accordingly. More than 210,000 people registered with FEMA for disaster assistance.{{cite news |work=The New York Times |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Explosions and Black Smoke Reported at Chemical Plant |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/hurricane-harvey-flooding-houston.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830230252/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/hurricane-harvey-flooding-houston.html |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}

The Cajun Navy, an informal organization of volunteers with boats from Louisiana, deployed to Texas to assist in high-water rescues.{{cite news |author=Edmund D. Fountain and Trip Gabriel |work=The New York Times |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title='Cajun Navy' Brings Its Rescue Fleet to Houston's Flood Zone |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/cajun-navy-brings-its-rescue-fleet-to-houstons-flood-zone.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830205853/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/cajun-navy-brings-its-rescue-fleet-to-houstons-flood-zone.html |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}

The Houston Independent School District announced that all students on any of the district's campuses would be eligible for free lunch throughout the 2017–18 school year. The Federal Department of Education eased financial aid rules and procedures for those affected by Harvey, giving schools the ability to waive paperwork requirements; loan borrowers were given more flexibility in managing their loan payments. A 36-year-old inmate sentenced to death for a 2003 murder was granted a temporary reprieve as a result of Harvey, as his legal team was based in Harris County, an area heavily affected by the hurricane.

By August 30, corporations across the nation collectively donated more than $72 million to relief efforts, with 42 companies donating at least $1 million.{{cite news |author=Kaya Yurieff |publisher=CNN Money |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Businesses donate over $72 million to Harvey relief efforts |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/08/30/news/companies/hurricane-harvey-corporate-donations/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921232350/http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/30/news/companies/hurricane-harvey-corporate-donations/index.html |archive-date=September 21, 2017 |url-status=live}} Professional athletic teams, their players, and managers provided large donations to assist victims of the storm. The Houston Astros pledged $4 million to relief along with all proceeds from their home game raffles. Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander also donated $4 million to the cause.{{cite news |author=Olivia Pulsinelli |newspaper=Houston Business Journal |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Astros owner, foundation commit $4M to Harvey relief; Crane Worldwide launches donation effort |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/08/29/astros-owner-foundation-commit-4m-to-harvey-relief.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831221845/https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/08/29/astros-owner-foundation-commit-4m-to-harvey-relief.html |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}} A fundraiser established by Houston Texans defensive lineman J. J. Watt exceeded $37 million. For his efforts, Watt received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/texans/2018/02/03/jj-watt-walter-payton-man-year-hurricane-harvey-relief/303944002/ |title=J.J. Watt wins Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts |date=February 3, 2018 |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=February 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204062130/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/texans/2018/02/03/jj-watt-walter-payton-man-year-hurricane-harvey-relief/303944002/ |archive-date=February 4, 2018 |url-status=live}} The Texas Rangers and Tennessee Titans both provided $1 million, while the New England Patriots pledged to match up to $1 million in donations to the Red Cross.{{cite news |author=Scott Polacek |work=Bleacher Report |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Texas Rangers Donate $1 Million to Hurricane Harvey Relief |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2730340-texas-rangers-donate-1-million-to-hurricane-harvey-relief |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831071315/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2730340-texas-rangers-donate-1-million-to-hurricane-harvey-relief |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}} Multiple Hollywood celebrities also pitched in, collectively donating more than $10 million, with Sandra Bullock providing the largest single donation of $1 million.{{cite news |author=Sarah Polus |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Celebrities open their hearts – and checkbooks – to Harvey victims |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2017/08/30/celebrities-open-their-hearts-and-checkbooks-to-harvey-victims/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831005409/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2017/08/30/celebrities-open-their-hearts-and-checkbooks-to-harvey-victims/ |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}} Leonardo DiCaprio provided $1 million to the United Way Harvey Recovery Fund through his foundation.{{cite news |author=Erin Jensen |newspaper=USA Today |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Leonardo DiCaprio, the Kardashians, more celebs pledge donations for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2017/08/29/rock-nicki-minaj-dj-khaled-more-celebs-pledge-donations-for-harvey-relief-efforts/611426001/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627153308/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2017/08/29/rock-nicki-minaj-dj-khaled-more-celebs-pledge-donations-for-harvey-relief-efforts/611426001/ |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |url-status=live}} President Donald Trump donated $1 million to 12 charities involved in relief efforts.{{cite news |last1=Manchester |first1=Julia |last2=Greenwood |first2=Max |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/350999-trump-makes-good-on-pledge-to-donate-to-harvey-relief/ |title=Trump makes good on pledge to donate to Harvey relief |work=The Hill |date=September 16, 2017 |access-date=September 19, 2017 |quote=The Hill confirmed with multiple groups that they received the funds this week. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919032451/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/350999-trump-makes-good-on-pledge-to-donate-to-harvey-relief |archive-date=September 19, 2017 |url-status=live}} Rachael Ray provided donations totaling $1 million to animal shelters across the Houston area.{{cite magazine |author=Ana Calderone |magazine=People |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |title=Rachael Ray Donates $1 Million to Support Animal Rescue in Texas Flood Areas |url=http://people.com/food/rachael-ray-donates-1-million-hurricane-harvey-animals/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830235713/http://people.com/food/rachael-ray-donates-1-million-hurricane-harvey-animals/ |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}

{{Costliest U.S. Atlantic hurricanes|align=right}}

Moody's Analytics initially estimated the total economic cost of the storm at $81 billion to $108 billion or more; most of the economic losses are damage to homes and commercial property.{{cite news |author=Don Lee |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-harvey-economic-toll-20170901-story.html |title=Harvey is likely to be the second-most costly natural disaster in U.S. history |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903225719/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-harvey-economic-toll-20170901-story.html |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |url-status=live}} Reinsurance company Aon Benfield estimated total economic losses at $100 billion, including $30 billion in insured damage, making Harvey the costliest disaster in 2017 by their calculations.{{cite news |newspaper=Insurance Journal |date=January 24, 2018 |access-date=January 29, 2017 |title=Insured Natural Disaster Losses in 2017 Were 38% of Economic Costs of $353B: Aon |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2018/01/24/478246.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124200407/https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2018/01/24/478246.htm |archive-date=January 24, 2018 |url-status=live}} USA Today reported an AccuWeather estimate of $190 billion, released August 31.{{cite news |author=Doyle Rice |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/08/30/harvey-costliest-natural-disaster-u-s-history-estimated-cost-160-billion/615708001/ |title=Harvey to be costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, with an estimated cost of $190 billion |work=USA Today |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903090312/https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/08/30/harvey-costliest-natural-disaster-u-s-history-estimated-cost-160-billion/615708001/ |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |url-status=live}} On September 3, Texas state governor Greg Abbott estimated that damages will be between $150 billion and $180 billion, surpassing the $120 billion that it took to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina.{{cite news |author1=Gary McWilliams |author2=Parraga Marianna |title=Texas governor says Harvey damage could reach $180 billion |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey/texas-governor-says-harvey-damage-could-reach-180-billion-idUSKCN1BE0TL |work=Reuters |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903210742/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey/texas-governor-says-harvey-damage-could-reach-180-billion-idUSKCN1BE0TL |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |author=Oliver Milman |title=Harvey recovery bill expected to exceed the $120bn required after Katrina |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/03/harvey-recovery-bill-expected-to-exceed-the-120-billion-required-after-katrina |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=September 3, 2017 |date=September 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903185259/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/03/harvey-recovery-bill-expected-to-exceed-the-120-billion-required-after-katrina |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |url-status=live}} According to weather analytics firm Planalytics, lost revenue to Houston area retailers and restaurants alone will be approximately $1 billion. The Houston area controls 4% of the spending power in the United States.{{cite news |author=Adrianne Pasquarelli |url=http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/hurricane-harvey-cost-brands-1b-sales/310268/ |title=Harvey Blasts Brands: Could Cost More Than $1B in Sales |work=Advertising Age |date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829000612/http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/hurricane-harvey-cost-brands-1b-sales/310268/ |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}}

In September 2017, the Insurance Council of Texas estimated the total insured losses from Hurricane Harvey at $19 billion. This figure represents $11 billion in flood losses insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), $3 billion in "insured windstorm and other storm-related property losses"; and about $4.75 billion in insured flood losses of private and commercial vehicles.{{cite news |url=http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2017/09/15/464484.htm |title=ICT Pegs Hurricane Harvey Insured Losses at $19B |work=Insurance Journal |date=September 15, 2017 |access-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915185711/http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2017/09/15/464484.htm |archive-date=September 15, 2017 |url-status=live}} By January 1, 2018, payouts from the NFIP reached $7.6 billion against total estimated losses of $8.5–9.5 billion.{{cite news |author=Andrew G. Simpson |newspaper=Insurance Journal |date=January 8, 2018 |access-date=January 29, 2018 |title=FEMA Expands Flood Reinsurance Program with Private Reinsurers for 2018 |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/01/08/476500.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130091323/https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/01/08/476500.htm |archive-date=January 30, 2018 |url-status=live}} Economists Michael Hicks and Mark Burton at Ball State University estimated damage in the Houston metropolitan area alone at $198.63 billion.{{cite report |author=Michael Hicks and Mark Burton |publisher=Ball State University |date=September 8, 2017 |access-date=November 1, 2017 |title=Hurricane Harvey: Preliminary Estimates of Commercial and Public Sector Damages on the Houston Metropolitan Area |url=http://projects.cberdata.org/reports/HurricaneHarvey2017.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107020820/http://projects.cberdata.org/reports/HurricaneHarvey2017.pdf |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |url-status=live}} Preliminary reporting from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration set a more concrete total at $125 billion, making Harvey the 2nd costliest tropical cyclone on record, behind Hurricane Katrina with 2017 costs of $161 billion (after adjusting for inflation).

A significant portion of the storm's damages are uninsured losses. Regular homeowner insurance policies generally exclude coverage for flooding, as the NFIP underwrites most flood insurance policies in the US.{{cite news |author=Chris Isidore |title=Most homes in Tropical Storm Harvey's path don't have flood insurance |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/08/25/news/economy/hurricane-harvey-flood-insurance/index.html?iid=EL |access-date=August 30, 2017 |publisher=CNN |date=August 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830103417/http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/25/news/economy/hurricane-harvey-flood-insurance/index.html?iid=EL |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} Although the purchase of flood insurance is obligatory for federally guaranteed mortgages for homes within the 100-year flood plain, enforcement of the requirement is difficult and many homes, even within the 100-year flood plain, lack flood insurance. In Harris County, Texas—which includes the city of Houston—only 15% of homes have flood insurance policies issued by the NFIP. Participation in the NFIP is higher, but still low, in neighboring Galveston (41%), Brazoria (26%), and Chambers Counties (21%).{{cite news |author=Mary Williams Walsh |title=Homeowners (and Taxpayers) Face Billions in Losses From Harvey Flooding |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/business/dealbook/flood-insurance-harvey.html?mcubz=3 |access-date=August 30, 2017 |work=The New York Times |date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830105210/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/business/dealbook/flood-insurance-harvey.html?mcubz=3 |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} Homeowners sued authorities after reservoir releases damaged homes.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-lawsuits/harvey-storm-water-releases-were-unlawful-government-takings-lawsuits-idUSKCN1BO0DS |title=Harvey storm-water releases were unlawful government takings: lawsuits |first=Bryan |last=Sims |date=September 13, 2017 |access-date=September 13, 2017 |newspaper=Reuters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913063152/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-lawsuits/harvey-storm-water-releases-were-unlawful-government-takings-lawsuits-idUSKCN1BO0DS |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |url-status=live}}

File:President Trump signing Hurricane Harvey bill (cropped).jpg

On September 8, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 601, which among other spending actions designated $15 billion for Hurricane Harvey relief.{{cite news |url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/news-wrap-trump-signs-15-billion-hurricane-harvey-relief-bill/ |title=News Wrap: Trump signs $15 billion Hurricane Harvey relief bill |date=September 8, 2017 |work=PBS Newshour |access-date=September 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928081429/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/news-wrap-trump-signs-15-billion-hurricane-harvey-relief-bill/ |archive-date=September 28, 2017 |url-status=live}}

The American Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Gulf Coast Synod Disaster Relief,{{Cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/tlgcsdisasterrelief/ |title=Gulf Coast Synod Disaster Relief |website=www.facebook.com |access-date=December 22, 2017}}{{Cite news |url=https://gulfcoastsynod.org/hurricane-harvey/ |title=Hurricane Harvey – Gulf Coast Synod |date=August 27, 2017 |work=Gulf Coast Synod |access-date=December 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627144604/https://gulfcoastsynod.org/hurricane-harvey/ |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |url-status=dead}} United States Equestrian Federation, Humane Society of the United States, Knights of Columbus, Samaritan's Purse, Catholic Charities USA, AmeriCares, BakerRipley,{{Cite web |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/about/houston-gives/article/Angela-Blanchard-head-of-Baker-Ripley-took-12374520.php |title=Angela Blanchard, head of Baker Ripley took charge when the county opened NRG to storm victims |publisher=Houston Chronicle |access-date=June 25, 2021 |date=November 22, 2017}} Operation BBQ relief, many celebrities, and many other charitable organizations provided help to the victims of the storm.{{cite news |agency=News On 6 Tulsa |url=http://www.newson6.com/story/36268546/salvation-army-accepting-hurricane-harvey-relief-donations-in-tulsa |title=Salvation Army Accepting Hurricane Harvey Relief Donations In Tulsa |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901201622/http://www.newson6.com/story/36268546/salvation-army-accepting-hurricane-harvey-relief-donations-in-tulsa |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |author=Janet Patton |newspaper=Lexington Herald Leader |url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article170676992.html |title=Harvey equine relief tops $150,000; supply list available for donors |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901203305/http://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article170676992.html |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |author=Perri Blumberg |publisher=Yahoo! News Southern Living |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/animal-rescue-groups-texas-help-162437715.html |title=Animal Rescue Groups in Texas Need Your Help—Here's What You Can Do |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901204054/https://www.yahoo.com/news/animal-rescue-groups-texas-help-162437715.html |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}} Anarchists (including Antifa) also provided relief.{{cite web |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/30/the_red_cross_wont_save_houston_texas |title=The Red Cross Won't Save Houston. Texas Residents Are Launching Community Relief Efforts Instead |date=August 30, 2017 |website=Democracy Now! |access-date=September 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902233444/https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/30/the_red_cross_wont_save_houston_texas |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{better source needed|date= August 2018|reason=Source consists of an interview, fact-checking not apparent}}{{cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2017/09/07/antifa-and-leftists-organize-mutual-aid-and-rescue-networks-in-houston_partner/ |title=Antifa and leftists organize mutual aid and rescue networks in Houston |first1=Candice |last1=Bernd |date=September 7, 2017 |work=Salon |access-date=August 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830035038/https://www.salon.com/2017/09/07/antifa-and-leftists-organize-mutual-aid-and-rescue-networks-in-houston_partner/ |archive-date=August 30, 2018 |url-status=live}} Business aviation played a part in the rescue efforts, providing support during the storm as well as relief flights bringing in suppliers in the immediate aftermath.{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2017/09/08/after-harvey-as-irma-bears-down-on-florida-heres-how-business-aviation-plays-a-critical-role/#b35b08c57b1a |title=After Harvey, As Irma Bears Down On Florida, Here's How Business Aviation Plays A Critical Role |first=Doug |last=Gollan |access-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910043407/https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2017/09/08/after-harvey-as-irma-bears-down-on-florida-heres-how-business-aviation-plays-a-critical-role/#b35b08c57b1a |archive-date=September 10, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Volunteers from amateur radio's emergency service wing, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, provided communications in American Red Cross shelters in South Texas.{{cite news |publisher=ARRL |url=http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-volunteers-assisting-where-needed-in-hurricane-response |title=Amateur Radio Volunteers Assisting Where Needed in Hurricane Response |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901202142/http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-volunteers-assisting-where-needed-in-hurricane-response |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Many corporations also contributed to relief efforts. Operation BBQ relief had the help from several local individuals and businesses kick off the support of providing meals for volunteers and victims. Smokers, pallets of wood, and another company came up with the pounds of pork to kick off the support effort.{{cite news |author=Greg Morago |work=Houston Chronicle |url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/restaurants-bars/bbq/article/Operation-BBQ-Relief-pulls-into-Houston-to-12162038.php |title=Operation BBQ Relief pulls into Houston to comfort, nourish with smoked meat |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901200636/http://www.chron.com/entertainment/restaurants-bars/bbq/article/Operation-BBQ-Relief-pulls-into-Houston-to-12162038.php |archive-date=September 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Operation BBQ relief vendors volunteering for the Houston flood relief estimates that they will serve at least 450,000 meals.{{cite news |author=Kevin Kilbane |newspaper=Fort Wayne News Sentinel |url=http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/fort_wayne_residents_pitching_in_to_help_hurricane_harvey_victims_20170901&profile=1179 |title=Fort Wayne residents pitching in to help Hurricane Harvey victims |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904225821/http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/fort_wayne_residents_pitching_in_to_help_hurricane_harvey_victims_20170901%26profile%3D1179 |archive-date=September 4, 2017 |url-status=dead}} On August 27, 2017, it was estimated that Operation BBQ relief will be expecting 25,000 to 30,000 meals a day.{{cite news |author=Mike Lacy |publisher=WLOX ABC News |url=http://www.wlox.com/story/36228379/operation-bbq-relief-ready-and-waiting-to-help-flood-victims |title=Operation BBQ Relief ready and waiting to help flood victims |date=August 27, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902010049/http://www.wlox.com/story/36228379/operation-bbq-relief-ready-and-waiting-to-help-flood-victims |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}

On August 27, 2017, KSL-TV, KSL Newsradio, FM100.3, and 103.5 The Arrow created a fundraiser to help Texas residents impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Because of an anonymous donor willing to match $2 for every $1 raised up to a total of $100,000, Peter Huntsman also agreed to match donations up to $100,000. The combined total of $200,000 was met by August 31, 2017. Following this, their new goal was $1 million.{{cite news |agency=KSL News |url=https://www.ksl.com/?sid=45597655&nid=148 |title=KSL Hope for Houston: Help us raise $1M to help with Harvey recovery |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=September 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902015311/https://www.ksl.com/?sid=45597655&nid=148 |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Singapore dispatched Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the Republic of Singapore Air Force to areas affected by the hurricane for humanitarian operations, working alongside the Texas National Guard.{{cite news |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/rsaf-chinooks-arrive-to-assist-in-hurricane-harvey-disaster-9172930 |title=RSAF Chinooks arrive to assist in Hurricane Harvey disaster relief |access-date=September 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902094325/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/rsaf-chinooks-arrive-to-assist-in-hurricane-harvey-disaster-9172930 |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |url-status=live}} Israel pledged $1 million in relief funds for restoration of non-state run communal infrastructure.{{cite news |author=Sarah Levi |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date=September 4, 2017 |access-date=September 4, 2017 |title=In Wake of Harvey Devastation, Israel Pledges $1M. to Houston's Jewish Community |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/In-rare-move-Israel-pledges-1m-in-aid-to-Houston-Jewish-communities-504190 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904172359/http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/In-rare-move-Israel-pledges-1m-in-aid-to-Houston-Jewish-communities-504190 |archive-date=September 4, 2017 |url-status=live}} Mexico sent volunteers from the Mexican Red Cross, firemen from Coahuila, and rescue teams from Guanajuato to Houston to assist in relief.{{cite news |last1=Corchado |first1=Alfredo |title=Abbott says Texas will accept Mexican offer of Hurricane Harvey relief |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2017/08/29/mexico-awaits-abbotts-response-offer-hurricane-harvey-relief |access-date=September 8, 2017 |work=Dallas News |date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910073156/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2017/08/29/mexico-awaits-abbotts-response-offer-hurricane-harvey-relief |archive-date=September 10, 2017 |url-status=live}} Mexico later rescinded their commitment for aid after Hurricane Katia made landfall on Mexico's Gulf Coast, on September 9, 2017.{{Cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/mexico-reverses-texas-aid-hurricane-harvey-katia-663041 |title=Mexico says it will not be possible to help Texas with recovery efforts |date=September 11, 2017 |work=Newsweek |access-date=September 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919053847/http://www.newsweek.com/mexico-reverses-texas-aid-hurricane-harvey-katia-663041 |archive-date=September 19, 2017 |url-status=live}} Venezuela offered $5 million through the state-owned Citgo Petroleum, which operates a refinery in Corpus Christi.{{cite news |author=Amanda Erickson |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=September 9, 2017 |title=America sanctioned Venezuela. Then it offered $5 million in aid to Harvey victims. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/08/30/venezuela-enemy-of-the-u-s-offered-5-million-in-aid-to-harvey-victims/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910054247/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/08/30/venezuela-enemy-of-the-u-s-offered-5-million-in-aid-to-harvey-victims/ |archive-date=September 10, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Houston officials stated that the Houston drinking water and sewer systems were intact; however, "hundreds of thousands of people across the 38 Texas counties affected by Hurricane Harvey use private wells, according to an estimate by Louisiana State University researchers, and those people must fend for themselves."Hiroko Tabuchi & Sheila Kaplan, [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/houston-contaminated-floodwaters.html?mcubz=3 A Sea of Health and Environmental Hazards in Houston's Floodwaters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903081330/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/houston-contaminated-floodwaters.html?mcubz=3 |date=September 3, 2017 }},|work=The New York Times (August 31, 2017). Additionally, Harris County, which includes Houston, contains a large number of Superfund-designed brownfield sites that contain a wide variety of toxins and carcinogens. Two Superfund sites in Corpus Christi were flooded.

In the months after the hurricane struck, some hospitals in Texas saw a spike in birth rates, with a 17% increase in birth rates being reported at Corpus Christi Medical Center.{{cite news |author=Danielle Garrand |newspaper=CBS News |date=May 29, 2018 |access-date=May 31, 2018 |title=Hurricane Harvey babies: Some hospitals see spike in births months after the storm |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-harvey-babies-some-hospitals-see-spike-in-births-months-after-the-storm/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601141534/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-harvey-babies-some-hospitals-see-spike-in-births-months-after-the-storm/ |archive-date=June 1, 2018 |url-status=live}} A similar, larger baby boom also occurred after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.{{cite news |url=http://www.app.com/article/20130722/NJNEWS/307220079/Oh-baby-Sandy-baby-boom-due-Shore-month?nclick_check=1 |title=Oh, baby! Sandy baby boom due at Shore this month |newspaper=Asbury Park Press |author=Carol Gorga Williams |date=July 23, 2013 |access-date=July 24, 2013}}

{{See also|List of retired Atlantic hurricane names}}

Due to the extensive damage and loss of life the hurricane caused along its track, particularly in Texas, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Harvey from its rotating name lists in April 2018, and it will never again be used for another Atlantic tropical cyclone. It was replaced with Harold for the 2023 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/national/hurricane-names-harvey-irma-maria-and-nate-being-retired/2018/04/12/1d594506-3e4d-11e8-955b-7d2e19b79966_story.html |title=Hurricane names Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate being retired |newspaper=The Washington Post |agency=Associated Press |date=April 12, 2018 |access-date=April 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413043249/https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/national/hurricane-names-harvey-irma-maria-and-nate-being-retired/2018/04/12/1d594506-3e4d-11e8-955b-7d2e19b79966_story.html |archive-date=April 13, 2018 |url-status=dead}}

File:Large Houston Landsat.jpg

Houston is located in the Southeastern United States on the Gulf Coastal Plain, and its clay-based soils provide poor drainage.{{cite news |author=Adam Gabbatt |title=What makes Houston so vulnerable to serious floods? |website=the Guardian |date=August 28, 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/28/houston-harvey-risk-floods-analysis |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830012120/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/28/houston-harvey-risk-floods-analysis |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |author=Justin Fox |title=How to Make 500-Year Storms Happen Every Year |publisher=Bloomberg.com |date=August 29, 2017 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-08-29/how-to-make-500-year-storms-happen-every-year |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830013602/https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-08-29/how-to-make-500-year-storms-happen-every-year |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} There is a tendency for storms to move very slowly over the region, allowing them to produce tremendous amounts of rain over an extended period, as occurred during Tropical Storm Claudette in 1979, and Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.{{cite news |title=How A Warmer Climate Helped Shape Harvey |website=NPR.org |date=August 28, 2017 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546748502/how-a-warmer-climate-helped-shape-harvey |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830014302/http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546748502/how-a-warmer-climate-helped-shape-harvey |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} The area is a very flat flood plain at shallow gradient, slowly draining rainwater through an intricate network of channels and bayous to the sea. The main waterways, the San Jacinto River and the Buffalo Bayou, meander slowly, laden with mud, and have little capacity for carrying storm water.{{cite news |author=Ralph Vartabedian |title=For years, engineers have warned that Houston was a flood disaster in the making. Why didn't somebody do something? |website=Los Angeles Times |date=August 29, 2017 |url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-harvey-engineering-20170828-story.html |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830224854/http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-harvey-engineering-20170828-story.html |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Houston has seen rapid urban development (urban sprawl), with absorbent prairie and wetlands replaced by hard surfaces which rapidly shed storm water, overwhelming the drainage capacity of the rivers and channels.{{cite news |author1=Manny Fernandez |author2=Richard Fausset |title=A Storm Forces Houston, the Limitless City, to Consider Its Limits |work=The New York Times |date=August 27, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/houston-flooding-growth-regulation.html |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831025002/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/houston-flooding-growth-regulation.html |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}} Between 1992 and 2010, almost 25,000 acres of wetlands were lost, decreasing the detention capacity of the region by four billion gallons.{{cite web |url=https://qz.com/1064364/hurricane-harvey-houstons-flooding-made-worse-by-unchecked-urban-development-and-wetland-destruction/ |first1=Ana |last1=Campoy |first2=David |last2=Yanofsky |title=Houston's flooding shows what happens when you ignore science and let developers run rampant |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=September 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912080708/https://qz.com/1064364/hurricane-harvey-houstons-flooding-made-worse-by-unchecked-urban-development-and-wetland-destruction/ |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |url-status=live}} However, Harvey was estimated to have dropped more than fifteen trillion gallons of water in the area.{{cite web |url=https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/8/30/houston-hurricane-harvey-land-use |first1=Daniel |last1=Herriges |title=Houston isn't flooded because of its land use planning |date=August 30, 2017 |access-date=September 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912234548/https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/8/30/houston-hurricane-harvey-land-use |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |url-status=live}}

The Katy Prairie in western Harris County, which once helped to absorb floodwaters in the region, has been reduced to one quarter of its previous size in the last several decades due to suburban development, and one analysis discovered that more than 7,000 housing units have been built within the 100-year floodplain in Harris County since 2010.{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2017/08/houston_wasn_t_built_to_withstand_a_storm_like_harvey.html |title=Houston Wasn't Built for a Storm Like This |author=Henry Grabar |work=Slate |date=August 27, 2017 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829025120/http://www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2017/08/houston_wasn_t_built_to_withstand_a_storm_like_harvey.html |archive-date=August 29, 2017 |url-status=live}}

As Houston has expanded, rainwater infiltration in the region has lessened and aquifer extraction increased, causing the depletion of underground aquifers. When the saturated ground dries, the soil can be compressed and the land surface elevation decreases in a process called subsidence. Subsidence can also occur due to sediment settling. Specifically, regions to the north and west of the Houston metro have seen {{convert|0.4|in|mm|sp=us}} to {{convert|1|in|mm|sp=us}} of subsidence per year.{{cite journal |author=Jiangbo Yu |display-authors=etal |title=Is There Deep-Seated Subsidence in the Houston-Galveston Area? |journal=International Journal of Geophysics |volume=2014 |pages=1–11 |date=July 2, 2014 |doi=10.1155/2014/942834 |doi-access=free}} While oil extraction can cause subsidence, in the Houston-Galveston area, most oil has been extracted from sandstone that has relatively negligible ability to compress once oil has been removed. Thus, oil extraction has not resulted in significant subsidence. Further, the volume of oil extraction in the Houston area is too low to cause significant subsidence.{{cite web |title=Oil Wells and Production in Harris County, Texas |url=http://www.texas-drilling.com/harris-county |access-date=December 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215111431/http://www.texas-drilling.com/harris-county |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |url-status=live}}

{{See also|Tropical cyclones and climate change}}

The Gulf of Mexico is known for hurricanes in August, so their incidence alone cannot be attributed to global warming, but the warming climate does influence certain attributes of storms. Studies in this regard show that storms tend to intensify more rapidly prior to landfall. Weather events are due to multiple factors, and so cannot be said to be caused by one precondition, but climate change affects aspects of extreme events, and very likely worsened some of the impacts of Harvey.{{cite web |author=Stefan Rahmstorf |author-link=Stefan Rahmstorf |title=Storm Harvey: impacts likely worsened due to global warming |website=Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Research Portal |url=https://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/in-short/storm-harvey-impacts-worsened-due-to-global-warming |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831070041/https://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/in-short/storm-harvey-impacts-worsened-due-to-global-warming |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}} In a briefing, the World Meteorological Organization stated that the quantity of rainfall from Harvey had very likely been increased by climate change.{{cite news |author=Tom Miles |title=Storm Harvey's rainfall likely linked to climate change: U.N. |agency=Reuters U.K. |date=August 29, 2017 |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-un-idUKKCN1B919O |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831072346/https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-un-idUKKCN1B919O |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=dead}}

Harvey approached Houston over sea-surface waters which were significantly above average temperatures. Warm waters provide the main source of energy for hurricanes, and increased ocean heat can result in storms being larger, more intense and longer lasting, in particular bringing greatly increased rainfall.{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/did-climate-change-intensify-hurricane-harvey/538158 |date=August 27, 2017 |work=The Atlantic |title=Did Climate Change Intensify Hurricane Harvey? |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828193702/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/did-climate-change-intensify-hurricane-harvey/538158/ |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/25/what-you-can-and-cant-say-about-climate-change-and-hurricane-harvey |title=What you can and can't say about climate change and Hurricane Harvey |date=August 27, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830230225/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/25/what-you-can-and-cant-say-about-climate-change-and-hurricane-harvey/ |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} Sea level rise added to the resulting problems. According to officials from the Harris County Flood Control District, Harvey caused the third '500-year' flood in three years.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/29/houston-is-experiencing-its-third-500-year-flood-in-3-years-how-is-that-possible |title=Houston is experiencing its third '500-year' flood in 3 years. How is that possible? |date=August 30, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831044940/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/29/houston-is-experiencing-its-third-500-year-flood-in-3-years-how-is-that-possible/ |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/08/549280066/hurricanes-are-sweeping-the-atlantic-whats-the-role-of-climate-change |title=Hurricanes Are Sweeping The Atlantic. What's The Role Of Climate Change? |first=Christpher |last=Joyce |work=NPR |publisher=National Public Radio |location=Washington, D.C. |date=September 8, 2017 |access-date=September 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909052329/http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/08/549280066/hurricanes-are-sweeping-the-atlantic-whats-the-role-of-climate-change |archive-date=September 9, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/did-climate-change-intensify-hurricane-harvey/538158/ |title=Did Climate Change Intensify Hurricane Harvey? |first=Robinson |last=Meyer |work=The Atlantic |location=Washington, D.C. |date=August 27, 2017 |access-date=September 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911154824/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/did-climate-change-intensify-hurricane-harvey/538158/ |archive-date=September 11, 2017 |url-status=live}} The National Climate Assessment states:{{blockquote|“The recent increases in activity are linked, in part, to higher sea surface temperatures in the region that Atlantic hurricanes form in and move through. Numerous factors have been shown to influence these local sea surface temperatures, including natural variability, human-induced emissions of heat-trapping gases, and particulate pollution. Quantifying the relative contributions of natural and human-caused factors is an active focus of research.”{{cite web |url=http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/extreme-weather#intro-section-2 |title=Extreme Weather |publisher=National Climate Assessment |access-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830052059/http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/extreme-weather#intro-section-2 |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}}}

Warmer air can hold more water vapor, in accordance with the Clausius–Clapeyron relation, and there has been a global increase of daily rainfall records. Regional sea surface temperatures around Houston have risen around 0.5 °C (0.9 °F) in recent decades, which caused a 3–5% increase in moisture in the atmosphere. This had the effect of allowing Harvey to strengthen more than expected.{{cite news |author=Michael E. Mann |author-link=Michael E. Mann |title=It's a fact: climate change made Hurricane Harvey more deadly |website=the Guardian |date=August 28, 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/28/climate-change-hurricane-harvey-more-deadly |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828142032/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/28/climate-change-hurricane-harvey-more-deadly |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |url-status=live}} The water temperature of the Gulf of Mexico was above average for this time of the year, and likely to be a factor in Harvey's impact.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/climate/how-hurricane-harvey-became-so-destructive.html |date=August 28, 2017 |title=How Hurricane Harvey Became So Destructive |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828192049/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/climate/how-hurricane-harvey-became-so-destructive.html |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |url-status=live}}

The slow movement of Harvey over Texas allowed the storm to drop prolonged heavy rains on the state, as has also happened with earlier storms. Harvey's stalled position was due to weak prevailing winds linked to a greatly expanded subtropical high pressure system over much of the US at the time, which had pushed the jet stream to the north. Research and model simulations have indicated an association between this pattern and human-caused climate change.{{cite journal |author1=Michael E. Mann |author2=Stefan Rahmstorf |author3=Kai Kornhuber |author4=Byron A. Steinman |author5=Sonya K. Miller |author6=Dim Coumou |title=Influence of Anthropogenic Climate Change on Planetary Wave Resonance and Extreme Weather Events |journal=Scientific Reports |publisher=Springer Nature |volume=7 |date=March 27, 2017 |issn=2045-2322 |doi=10.1038/srep45242 |page=45242 |bibcode=2017NatSR...745242M |pmc=5366916 |pmid=28345645}}

{{Commons category|Hurricane Harvey}}

• Weather of 2017
• Tropical cyclones in 2017
• List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
• List of Texas hurricanes (1980–present)
• List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes
• List of wettest tropical cyclones
• Great Flood of 1862 – An ARkStorm event that dropped similar amounts of rainfall in California
• Cyclone Hyacinthe (1980) – The wettest recorded tropical cyclone worldwide
• Hurricane Irma (2017) – A Category 5 hurricane that made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane
• Hurricane Maria (2017) – A Category 5 hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico as a high-end Category 4
• Hurricane Florence (2018) – Another Category 4 hurricane in 2018 that stalled over the coast of the Carolinas as a Category 1 and caused catastrophic flooding

;Other tropical cyclones that made landfall in the same region of the Texas Gulf coast:

• 1886 Indianola hurricane – Destroyed the burgeoning port city of Indianola
• 1900 Galveston hurricane – Deadliest natural disaster in US history, impacting Galveston with unmitigated storm surge and killing as many as 12,000
• 1932 Freeport hurricane – Rapidly intensifying Category 4 hurricane that brought heavy rainfall to the Angleton and Freeport areas
• Hurricane Carla (1961) – Another storm that made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane
• Hurricane Celia (1970) – Produced destructive winds in the Corpus Christi area
• Hurricane Alicia (1983) – A Category 3 hurricane that affected Galveston and Houston
• Tropical Storm Allison (2001) – Another damaging tropical cyclone that stalled over southeastern Texas, flooding the region
• Hurricane Ike (2008) – Another Category 4 hurricane that caused devastation in Texas
• Tropical Storm Imelda (2019) – Weak tropical cyclone which caused similar extreme flooding in the same region
• Hurricane Nicholas (2021) – A minimal Category 1 hurricane which made landfall in similar areas
• Hurricane Beryl (2024) – Made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, resulting in similarly devastating impacts to the Houston area

{{Reflist|group="nb"}}

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{cite journal |author=Frame, David J. |author2=Michael F. Wehner |author3=Ilan Noy |author4=Suzanne M. Rosier |title=The economic costs of Hurricane Harvey attributable to climate change |journal=Climatic Change |year=2020 |doi=10.1007/s10584-020-02692-8 |volume=160 |issue=2 |pages=271–281 |bibcode=2020ClCh..160..271F |doi-access=free}}

{{commons}}

• [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/HARVEY.shtml? Hurricane Harvey Advisory Archive]
• [https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2017-11-03-hurricane-200-billion-dollar Harvey Could Be America's First $200 Billion Hurricane, but Other Estimates Are More Conservative]
• [http://emergency.copernicus.eu/EMSR229 EMSR229: Hurricane Harvey in Texas (delineation maps)] – Copernicus Emergency Management Service

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