zoomImage Courtesy: Port of Galveston

Ports in Texas are bracing for Hurricane Harvey which is forecast to move toward the middle Texas coast late Friday night (August 25).

Harvey is predicted to be a Category 3 hurricane with max winds of 125 mph at landfall in Texas. As informed, impacts are expected to be felt well away from the center of the storm.

As a precautionary measure for the anticipated landfall of Hurricane Harvey, the Port of Corpus Christi is now on port condition 1 - tropical hazards expected within 12 hours. The port continues to monitor possible impact scenarios for Hurricane Harvey in and around the Texas Coastal Bend region.

A hurricane warning is in effect from Port Mansfield to Matagorda, and a storm surge warning now in effect from Port Mansfield to Saint Luis Pass.

The US Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston set port condition Yankee for the Port of Freeport at 1:00 p.m. on August 24. The Freeport Harbor Channel is closed for all inbound traffic until further notice.

What is more, the Captain of the Port set on August 24 port condition Yankee for the Port of Galveston and surrounding area, meaning that gale force winds are expected to reach Galveston within 24 hours. The port remains closed to all vessel traffic and commercial activities.

Four cruise ships are due to call at the Port of Galveston this weekend and it remains to be seen whether they will divert or delay and attempt to call the port after the storm makes landfall.

Houston Pilots are still moving ships, but depending upon how the storm moves around once it makes landfall, the port could be shut down for 2-4 days. With the storm now possibly reaching Category 2 hurricane status before landfall, the pilots may shut down traffic early afternoon on August 25, according to GAC.

Galveston-Texas City Pilots are still operating as normal but are closely monitoring the situation and will close down operations when conditions warrant.