HOUSTON – Gov. Greg Abbott made a disaster declaration for 36 more Texas counties ahead of Hurricane Laura at the same time he outlined ways local authorities are planning to cope with the challenge of the pandemic and evacuations.
Abbott urged families to isolate themselves and stay in hotels and motels to avoid being in areas with other people in shelters that are being established. He said state and local authorities will be making decisions to handle people by placing fewer people in certain sheltering areas and making more trips with evacuation bus shuttles to help people leave areas safely.
Abbott stressed that area residents only have a few more hours left to prepare themselves and their property for the coming storm, which could bring flooding in some areas, tornadoes and, very likely with this storm, high winds.
Abbott likened the storm to Hurricane Ike in 2008, saying the threat of high wind is probable with the possibility of gusts coming far inland.
“Everyone needs to be very cautious as they proceed in the coming days,” he said.
Abbott urged people to heed evacuation orders and to avoid putting emergency responders in challenging situations by staying behind.
Several evacuation centers are in the works or already up and running.
San Antonio
254 Gembler Road opens at 3 p.m.
Austin
9201 Circuit of the Americas Boulevard at 4 p.m.
Dallas-Fort Worth
State buses to move people to different locations
Mesquite Reception Center opens at 7 p.m.
15515 East Interstate Highway 20
Dallas
Ellis County - Knights of Columbus Hall
850 South Interstate Highway 45
Ennis, Texas
As the state continues to monitor this storm, and as more local orders are issued, Texans should stay alert.
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) August 25, 2020
Safety tips and more information can be found here ↓ @TDEM https://t.co/TUCFtsRwPE
The forecast track of Hurricane Laura has the eye of the storm making landfall in Southeast Texas, but parts of the Galveston coastline are inside the cone of uncertainty.