In anticipation of major storm flooding from a Category 3 Hurricane Harvey, Governor Abbott declared a state of disaster for 30 counties.
“Texans believe in taking action and always being prepared in the event of an emergency, ” Governor Abbott said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “That is why I am taking every precaution prior to Tropical Depression 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 affected counties include: Aransas, Austin, Bee, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Brazoria, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Harris, Jackson, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kleberg, Lavaca, Liberty, Live Oak, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Waller, Wharton and Wilson Counties.
School closures are anticipated for Friday and perhaps Monday, depending on the path of the storm.
As of the 1 p.m. CDT report, Hurricane Harvey has maximum sustained winds of approximately 85 mph. The storm is located at latitude 24.4 North, longitude 93.6 West and is moving north-northwest at about 10 mph. Its forward speed is expected to decrease as the storm approaches the coast. Landfall is expected for late Friday night or early Saturday morning around Aransas Pass, Texas.
Hurricane-force winds currently extend 25 miles out from the center of the storm and tropical-storm-force winds extend 90 miles.
This will be the first major natural disaster for President Donald Trump.
STORM SURGE WARNING FROM NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER:
Rainfall totals are still expected to reach catastrophic levels with 12 to 20 inches of rain falling on the flat coastal region. Some spots can expect to receive 30 inches of rain.
