Tropical Storm Harvey continues to gain strength as it hurtles through the Gulf Coast, with landfall expected in South Texas and Louisiana. Heavy rainfall is expected in this region, which could impact refinery operations, marine traffic, and trucking logistics in the region.  Harvey is expected to make landfall somewhere along the Texas Gulf Coast Friday afternoon or Friday night.

Due to the favorable environment in the Gulf of Mexico, there is still potential for Harvey to reach hurricane strength prior to making landfall, which will increase the risk of storm surge flooding.  For now, areas near Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coasts are in the biggest threat for torrential rainfall and major flash flooding, potentially including Houston and Corpus Christi.

In addition, depending on the track of the storm, heavy rain potential in Central Texas is a concern, including flood prone cities of Austin and San Antonio. 

Andy Milton, Senior Vice President of Supply at Mansfield, said:

“We are certainly hoping for as little impact as possible; however, we are already hearing some precautionary refinery and production shutdowns being discussed across the potential affected zones. As always, given the uncertainty, Mansfield recommends consumers exercise normal precautions during the hurricane situations.”

Mansfield continues to monitor the situation and will update customers as necessary.