Thank you, Ciel.

Even with that explanation, there seems to be a large difference between the winds high aloft that the hurricane hunters measure, and what the surface instruments are currently measuring. weather.com had a graphic of surface instruments at 10:10 am CT, and closest to the Harvey was 43 mph and less as you looked northward. That, at the time the winds aloft were 110 mph or so.

I noticed a similar phenomenon monitoring Matthew last year. The winds aloft, that are taken to be the true measure of the storm, aren't at all the winds that reach to the ground.

Seems like comparing apples and oranges. Using the high-speed winds aloft as a measure of the potential wind damage to things on the ground.

I am not at all writing about the potential for severe flooding due to rain & storm surge. That is very real.