Hurricane Harvey has been disastrous to our neighbors in Houston, Texas, and surrounding areas. And, the storm refueled and is hitting landfall again in Louisiana. CNN reports that Harvey has been downgraded to a tropical storm, and the outskirts are expected to hit New Orleans this afternoon. The famed city is shutting down out of precaution although only mild flooding is expected. The National Hurricane Center has issued advisories on Tropical Storm Harvey, currently located just offshore of the middle Texas Coast.

So, the question on our mind is what are we in store for here in the Ohio River Valley? Harvey is expected to make a bee-line for Tennessee and then northward but will be downgraded to a Tropical Depression which means wind speeds will be less than 39 MPH.

According to the National Weather Service in Paducah:

Heavy rainfall does appear likely. 1-4 inches of rain is forecast by the time the system moves out. The track of Harvey’s remnants has shifted more southeastward over the past 24 hours, but the exact track is not critical to the location of heaviest rainfall amounts. So far, the heaviest rain has been displaced well away from the center of the storm.

So, be prepared for some storms this weekend when you are making plans. And, don't forget that our fellow Americans are needing your help in this time of tragedy.

If you want to help, make SURE you are donating to a reputable charity with a good standing in Charity Navigator or local charities with a good reputation. I personally will not donate to charities that hand over millions of donation money to their leadership team. But, that's just me. You'll find a list of the BEST charities to donate to in Business Insider's Best Charities to Give to in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey.

And, we have people from right here in the tri-state who are helping. Five Evansville Police officers along with area EMS and Dive/rescue personnel will be headed down to Texas to assist with clean up and recovery after Hurricane Harvey’s devastation.

They are in need of supplies and if can help out, donations can be dropped off by Thursday evening at the FOP office at 801 Court Street in Downtown Evansville.

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