From The Associated Press:
President Donald Trump says he has signed a disaster declaration for Texas as Hurricane Harvey nears on the middle Texas coast.
Trump announced his declaration in a posting on his Twitter account.
At 9 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said the storm was “almost onshore” with 130 mph (215 kmh) sustained winds.
A center statement said a station at Aransas Pass run by the Texas Coastal Observing Network had reported a sustained wind of 102 mph (165 kmh) with a gust to 120 mph (193 kmh).
From The Associated Press:
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Harvey has strengthened to a Category 4 storm.
The center says Harvey has sustained wind speeds of 130 mph (209kph) as the powerful storm churns off the Texas coast. Forecasters are labeling it a “life-threatening storm.”
The storm quickly grew Thursday from a tropical depression into a Category 1 hurricane, and then developed into a Category 2 storm early Friday.
By Friday afternoon, it had become a Category 3 storm before strengthening to a category 4.
It’s forecast to make landfall in Texas late Friday or early Saturday.
The storm is 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Corpus Christi.
From WTAW News:
After meeting with reporters Friday afternoon, Governor Abbott issued a proclamation to “suspend all laws authorizing or requiring the collection of state or local hotel or motel occupancy taxes from the victims of Hurricane Harvey or personnel participating in relief operations, for a period of 14 days, beginning August 23, 2017, and ending September 6, 2017.”
Click HERE to read and download the proclamation.
From Governor Abbott’s office:
Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration as Hurricane Harvey is set to make landfall. The state is expected to see life-threatening and record-setting flooding from rain and storm surge in areas hardest hit by Harvey.
If granted by the president, this request will provide Individual Assistance, Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation to Texas counties in the affected areas. This request also allows the Governor to request assistance for additional counties after damage assessments are made. The request will provide Texas with the necessary resources to respond to the severity and magnitude of Hurricane Harvey in order to help save lives and to protect property, public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster.
“Granting this request will provide Texans the additional resources needed to protect themselves, their property and rebuild their lives if necessary after Hurricane Harvey,” said Governor Abbott. “I spoke with President Trump yesterday and am confident that he will move quickly to grant this request and provide the people of Texas with everything they need to recover from this storm. I want to continue to encourage Texans to take this threat seriously, heed warnings from local officials, and do all they can to prepare as the state of Texas works to ensure we are in the best position to respond to urgent needs following this storm.”
Click below for comments from Governor Abbott, DPS director Steve McCraw, Nim Kidd of the Texas Department Division of Emergency Management, DPS director Steven McCraw, and state senator John Whitmire of Houston.