Harvey downgraded to tropical depression

Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Harvey lost strength over western Louisiana on Wednesday afternoon, prompting the National Hurricane Center to downgrade the storm to a tropical depression.

The NHC discontinued all watches and warnings in its 10 p.m. advisory.

The storm was located about 30 miles southwest of Alexandria, La., and was traveling north-northeast at a speed of 8 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

The storm hit Texas Friday as a Category 4 hurricane and has slowly moved in a northeast direction since. It's expected to move across the Lower Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley through Thursday.

The expected heavy rains spreading northeastward from Louisiana into western Kentucky may also lead to flash flooding and increased river and small stream flooding, the NHC said.

"While the threat of heavy rains has ended in the Houston/Galveston area, catastrophic and life threatening flooding will continue in and around Houston eastward into southwest Louisiana for the rest of the week," the NHC said.

Texas continues to deal with damage from Harvey -- both human and structural. Several people have died as a result of the storm.

Meteorologists also warned that tornadoes are possible Wednesday over parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama and southeast Arkansas.

Harvey was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It was also the first hurricane to hit Texas since Ike in 2008.

#GOES16 spied Trop. Storm Irma in the eastern Atlantic today. Irma could become a hurricane on Friday. More info @ https://t.co/cSGOfrM0lG pic.twitter.com/zY6TFpmyqd

- NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) August 30, 2017