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Harvey shatters US rainfall record for a tropical system, according to the National Weather Service

todayAugust 30, 2017 17

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iStock/Thinkstock(HOUSTON) — Tropical Storm Harvey, which first made landfall Friday as a hurricane before weakening into a persistent storm that has circled over southeastern Texas for days, has shattered the contiguous-U.S. rainfall record for a tropical storm, according to the National Weather Service.

Breaking the previous mark of 48 inches, Harvey recorded 49.2 inches at an area called Mary’s Creek at Winding Road, Texas, the weather service reported.

The storm, which dropped a foot of rainfall from Galveston, Texas to Beaumont, Texas, overnight, according to ABC News’ meteorologists, is not expected to relent just yet.

Heavy rain is forecast to continue in the eastern part of the state, where an additional 6 to 12 inches of rain are possible in spots over the next 24 hours.

Rain could be heavy at times in Houston, where rescuers are already battling severe flooding, over that same span. An additional 6 inches of rain is possible there.

Houston will possibly see an end to the rain by Wednesday afternoon, ABC News’ meteorologists suggest.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” Monday that he expects the aftermath of Harvey to be “horrific,” leaving a mess that will “take years” to rebuild.

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Written by: Leah Jones

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