DEVELOPING: Gov. Abbott declares state of disaster for 30 counties in Texas

In anticipation of Tropical Depression Harvey making landfall in the Gulf Coast region, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday preemptively declared a State of Disaster for 30 counties, including Jefferson. Also on the list are Chambers and Galveston counties. Forecasts from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center expect the storm to intensify Friday

night, which is likely to cause severe flooding, storm surges and damaging winds around Texas.Earlier Wednesday, the governor ordered the State Operations Center to “elevate its readiness level as the storm approaches.” He made all of the state’s resources available to assist in preparation. READ MORE