'We are not yet in the clear': Abbott urges residents to stay alert after Tropical Storm Nicholas

Tropical Storm Nicholas brought heavy rain to the area and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants residents to stay alert and take caution as there are still safety issues on local roads. 

"We are not yet in the clear," Abbott posted on Twitter. "For safety tips and more, visit gov.texas.gov/hurricane."

Nicholas's landfall brought heavy rain and wind throughout the Greater Houston area. Its highest sustained wind amount was 75 mph, according to Click2Houston. 

The Texas Hurricane Center urges Texans to be aware of road conditions even after the storm has passed. Drivers must turn away from high water on roadways to avoid drowning, according to the Office of the Texas Governor. 

Abbott issued a disaster order for the 17 counties affected by Tropical Storm Nicholas, according to KXAN. 

In a post on Twitter, Abbott said that additional counties have been added to the disaster declaration and the state has temporarily waived the limit on commercial drivers' hours of service and the oversize and overweight permitting requirements. Abbott said this will expedite recovery efforts.

"In a briefing today, state agency leaders provided updates on the resources deployed to assist with recovery efforts," Abbott said in a Twitter post on Sept. 14. 

He said the Texas Division of Emergency Management is making damage assessments for costs of the damage from the storm. 

The Electric Reliability County of Texas has directed transmission companies to delay maintenance outages, Abbott said. 

The National Guard was also assisting with traffic control operations in areas that haven't had their traffic signal returned to working status yet, according to Abbott. 

The American Red Cross and Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster have two open shelters across the area from the impact of Tropical Storm Nicholas.