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Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) has ordered the state's resources to increase their readiness Sept. 12, the day before Tropical Storm Nicholas was forecasted to make landfall on the Texas coast.
According to a release from the Office of the Texas Governor, Abbott ordered the Texas State Operations Center to raise its readiness to Level II, or an escalated response, which started at 9 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 13.
"As Tropical Storm Nicholas approaches Texas, our Southeast and Gulf Coast communities should prepare now for significant rainfall and potential flooding," Abbott wrote in a Sept. 12 tweet.
In the tweet, Abbott also shared a link to the release where Texans could find tips on how to stay safe and prepare for flooding as well as the state's response to the storm.
"The State Operations Center has increased its readiness and is prepared to assist local officials in their response to Tropical Storm Nicholas," Abbott said in the release.
Abbott encouraged residents who live near the coastline to take the necessary precautions to keep themselves and their families safe during the storm.
"As this storm approaches Texas, I urge our Southeast Texas and Gulf Coast communities to prepare now to protect themselves and their loved ones from the severe weather conditions that Tropical Storm Nicholas will bring," Abbott said in the release.
Tropical Storm Nicholas is expected to bring significant rainfall and flooding to the Texas Gulf Coast, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.
Spectrum News reported that as of 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 13, Tropical Storm Nicholas had sustained winds of 60 miles per hour. Those winds were expected to strengthen throughout the day as the storm continued to approach the coastline of Texas.
Several coastal communities are already under a storm surge and tropical storm watches and warnings, according to Spectrum News.