Hurricane Harvey could bring more rain than Seattle has seen all year

SEATTLE — As Hurricane Harvey strengthens and crawls toward the Texas Gulf Coast, meteorologists expect the storm to dump as much as 35 inches of rain in southeast parts of the state.

That’s more rain than Seattle has seen all year. The Emerald City has seen about 28 inches of rain since January.

You may remember that Seattle did recently make some soggy records. That’s because the “rainy season” for Seattle is October through March. On average, Seattle receives 75 percent of its yearly rainfall during this time.

We’ve received nearly 4 feet of rain from October to May. Read about that here.

"The first thing most people think about with these storms is the wind," said KIRO 7 PinPoint Meteorologist Nick Allard. "Oftentimes the biggest nuisance from a storm like this, especially as it slows down once it moves inland, is the rain. Inches upon inches can fall in one spot in just a matter of hours.  This storm is packing a punch."

In Texas, millions of people are preparing for a prolonged battering from the storm, which could be the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in nearly a dozen years.

For KIRO 7’s special newscast at 4 p.m., we're following evacuations and preparations in Texas. Watch on-air or here.

Forecasters labeled Harvey a "life-threatening" system that posed a "grave risk," saying it could swamp several counties more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) inland.

Fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph), just shy of the benchmark for a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was expected to continue gathering strength before coming ashore late Friday or early Saturday. Read live updates about the storm here.

Cox Media Group