Hurricane Harvey strengthens to Category 4 storm

By: Stephanie Staudinger

Posted: Aug 25, 2017 6:16 PM CDT

HOUSTON -- Hurricane Harvey is now a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

As Harvey creeps toward the Texas Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center warned Texans to prepare for "life-threatening flash flooding."

The storm was expected to make landfall near Corpus Christi late Friday or early Saturday morning, the National Weather Service said.

Houston is bracing for 15 to 25 inches of rainfall, with some areas getting up to 3 feet of total rainfall by Wednesday, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports.

"In terms of economic impact, Harvey will probably be on par with Hurricane Katrina," Brian McNoldy, a senior hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, told the Associated Press. "The Houston area and Corpus Christi are going to be a mess for a long time."

Check back for updates.