Hurricane Harvey: Storm Gathers Strength, Now a Category 4

• Hurricane Harvey, powered by the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters and poised to strike the United States as a major hurricane, was strenthening as it swept toward Texas. High winds and rain are battering coastal and inland communities. Some power losses are reported.

• Gov. Greg Abbott warned at a news conference than the storm was shaping up to be “more dangerous” than previous hurricanes because of the potential for widespread flooding that could leave Texas in the storm’s grip for at least “a week if not longer.” The governor said he had asked President Trump for a federal disaster declaration.

• The National Hurricane Center upgraded the storm to Category 4 Friday, with sustained winds of 130 miles an hour. It could make landfall late Friday or early Saturday between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor, the National Weather Service said.