The Lone Star State is getting ready for Tropical Storm Harvey, which looks likely to become Hurricane Harvey, by pre-emptively declaring a state of disaster for 30 counties that will lay in the storm’s path.
“Texans believe in taking action and always being prepared in the event of an emergency,” Governor Gregg Abbott said in a statement. “That is why I am taking every precaution prior to Tropical [Storm] Harvey making landfall. Preemptively declaring a state of disaster will allow Texas to quickly deploy resources for the emergency response effort in anticipation of the storm’s hazardous conditions.”
The National Weather Service has the storm hitting almost the entire Texan coast, with the storm upgrading to hurricane along the way and possibly landing that way, being the first hurricane to hit Texas since 2008.
Conditions and the path of the storm are being watched closely. It is expected to land Friday night, but its pathway and intensity have shifted slightly and will likely continue to do so.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for Bee, Goliad, Jim Wells, Live Oak, and Victoria.
