Hurricane Harvey is heading to Texas

Tropical Storm Harvey

is rapidly intensifying over Gulf of Mexico waters and it is predicted to become a Category 3 hurricane before its landfall, the U.S. National Hurricane Center ( NHC ) disclosed in Miami .

NHC said that data collected by Air Force and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) Hurricane Hunter planes at 10:00 on Thursday (15:00 GMT) indicate a strong strengthening, therefore it is expected that Harvey will become a major hurricane before its landfall in Texas on Saturday .

Data indicate that maximum winds have increased to about 100 kilometers ( 62 miles ) per hour with higher bursts.

Harvey would be the first hurricane to land in Texas since 2008 when Hurricane Ike struck the coast near Galveston and killed 21 people.

NHC alerted that Harvey could leave " large amounts of rain " on the southeast coast of Texas from Friday morning to Sunday.

Rainfall amounts of between 38 and 50 centimeters ( 1.2 and 1.6 feet )are expected, with even higher insulated amounts of up to 75 centimeters ( 2.4 foot ).

Harvey is " rapidly intensifying " and creates a potential for " life-threatening and devastating " floods, disclosed the NHC warning in which people in Southeast Texas are urged to be prepared.

At 10:00 am this Thursday (15:00 GMT) Harvey was located 590 kilometers ( 367 miles ) southeast of Corpus Christi and 580 kilometers ( 360 miles ) south-southeast of Port Oconnor .

Nueces County

, along with the cities of Corpus Christi and Port Aransas , issued mandatory evacuation notices for recreational vehicles ( RVs ).

Texas Department of Transportation

was enlisting Thursday to send equipment and personnel to the Gulf Coast, agency spokesman Mark Cross said. The teams also made plans for traffic control, installation of barriers and scrap recollection.

The institution urged residents in the area to avoid traveling to the Gulf unless they have critical businesses in the region, Cross said.

Corpus Christi is distributing sandbags since Wednesday so residents can prevent the entry of water into their homes. Each person can receive up to 20 sacks of sand at the city's distribution centers.

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