Take a look at the footage of Hurricane Harvey, as seen from space

NASA has released unique footage of Hurricane Harvey approaching Texas, captured by the International Space Station.

The eye of the Category four hurricane can be seen clearly, and made landfall at 10pm on the south-east Texas coast.

The powerful cyclone sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing along the Gulf Coast as winds of up to 130mph swept in. It is the most powerful to hit the US since 2004.

It has since decreased to a Category one storm.

It is expected to be declared a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon. However, heavy flooding is expected in the coming days amid torrential downpours.

As the aftermath unfolds, parts of the state are experiencing severe damage to infrastructure.

The coastal city of Rockport was one of the first to report the damage of its homes, businesses and schools.

Experts are predicting the economic impact of the storm to equal that of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Some 4,500 inmates have been evacuated from nearby prisons in anticipation of rivers overflowing, AP reported.