Public Safety

Several Texas cities issue mandatory evacuation orders as Hurricane Laura strengthens in the Gulf

The Texas Tribune: Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he was adding 36 more counties to his state disaster declaration as Hurricane Laura approached the Texas coast. Fifty-nine of Texas' 254 counties are now under the disaster declaration.

Earlier in the day, the mayor of Galveston called for a mandatory evacuation of the city after Tropical Storm Laura strengthened into a hurricane and its path shifted westward, increasing the chances that it could strike the Houston area. Throughout the day Tuesday, officials in counties and cities along and near the coast issued various voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders. Abbott said that more cities and counties were likely to issue such orders before Laura makes landfall.

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