The state of Texas continues to take precautions as the storm Harvery, which has gone from a Tropical Storm to a Hurricane now, is expected to make landfall. Local news outlets report it’s expected to strenghten to a Category 3. It will be the first hurricane to hit Texas in almost 10 years, the last being in 2008.
Along with hurricane winds, the National Hurricane Center predicts flooding of up to 10 feet above the ground, and 20 inches of rain.
Long before the worst of #Harvey we just had our first gusty squall hammer us in Port Lavaca, TX. We're live on @weatherchannel 3-9 PM ET. pic.twitter.com/ibOxhaCUhQ
— Mike Seidel (@mikeseidel) August 24, 2017
People are already lining up for gas:
Gas lines outside Corpus Christi starting to back up in anticipation of #HurricaneHarvey @weatherchannel @AMHQ @JimCantore @JenCarfagno pic.twitter.com/Nh5hsuXKTp
— Steve Petyerak (@StevePetyerak) August 24, 2017
South Texas is expected to be hit the hardest, particularly Houston, one of the 30 counties where Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency. Some counties have even been hit with mandatory evacuations for Thursday. Alerts are understandably cautioning travelers to reconsider their plans to areas affected the most.
North Texas is not expected to be affected as much, though they still are making preparations to help their fellow state residents. From DallasNews.com:
What North Texans are preparing for, though, is providing aid for those who will be hit by the storm. The city of Dallas has made preparations to shelter up to 6,000 evacuees if necessary, according to city officials.
Emergency crews from Dallas Fire-Rescue, including some members of the urban search and rescue team, are also being sent to help in San Antonio where trailers full of meals, water and tarps have been positioned for distribution.
The efforts of North Texas ought to be a sign of assistance for others to follow, including for those around the country to pray for fellow Americans who may be affected by such a storm.