AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- As the state continues to prepare for two storms brewing in or near the Gulf of Mexico, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday issued a disaster declaration for 23 counties, and called for federal emergency funds.
"As Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura approach Texas, the state is taking necessary precautions to protect our communities and keep Texans safe," Abbott said. "I urge Texans in the path of these storms to plan ahead and heed the guidance of their local officials. The State of Texas is working with local and federal partners to monitor these storms and provide the resources our communities need to respond."
Sunday's declaration includes 22 coastal counties as well as Bexar County, which will be used for staging operations and shelters for evacuees.
"It is incredibly important for everybody who could be in the pathway of these storms to constantly heed local warnings about what may be happening in your community, understanding that this is very swift moving and there could be rising water happening very quickly," Abbott said.
Forecast tracks for Marco, which grew into a hurricane Sunday afternoon, have shifted eastward with the storm expected to now make landfall in southeast Louisiana on Monday. Laura, which is currently a tropical storm, is expected to make landfall in southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas at some point on Wednesday.