Gov. Greg Abbott urges people to leave while they can, not let their guard down ahead of Hurricane Laura

AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott held a news conference Wednesday where he gave an update on the state’s response to Hurricane Laura, which is now expected to become a Category 4 storm.

The latest tracks predict Laura will make landfall overnight Wednesday into Thursday along the Texas-Louisiana border.

During the news conference, Abbot emphasized that Laura was going to be a severe storm with powerful winds and people should take it seriously.

Abbott said people should, “Take these last few hours to get out of harm’s way,” because rescuers may not be able to get to residents once the storm hits.

The governor also warned people outside the cone to not let their guard down. There will still be heavy winds and people should expect some flash floods. The storm should exit the state by late Thursday night, Abbott said.

Residents should also expect power outages in areas that are hardest hit. Abbott warned that if you lose power, it is very important that you do no bring your generator inside because that can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

Abbott also announced that Camp, Ellis and Tarrant counties were added to the disaster declaration for the state because they are shelter counties. Abbott said he was asking the president to add those counties to the federal declaration.

The state has already started preparing for the recovery. Volunteer organizations and others are ready to help once the storm passes.

Watch the full news update: