SAN ANTONIO — As Beryl gets set to re-emerge over water the state of Texas is preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick held a news conference Friday after signing a disaster declaration for 39 counties in the state.
"We hope and we pray for nothing more than a rain event, although that may mean heavy rain in some areas. Flooding in some areas. Pretty much for sure," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said.
Lt. Gov. Patrick said state agencies are prepared for Beryl, but he is insisting the public prepare too.
"Pay attention to this storm, because you have about two days, the rest of today and tomorrow and Sunday, before it hits on Monday," he added.
Here's what the disaster declaration the Lt. Governor signed earlier does:
- It warns the public that this is an event that needs to be taken seriously.
- Second, it allows some state agencies to spend money that may be outside of their budget to do protective measures.
- And third, the declaration allows local county judges, cities, and counties as a whole to access funds in the case of an emergency.
The state stresses their main mission is to prepare to save lives if the worst case scenario happens. Nim Kidd, the Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management said, "Life safety is our number one priority and we will make sure all of our resources are available to our state agencies and partners."
The state advises that each person along the coast and inland to prepare.
"We would like people to take the time to make sure their vehicles are fueled, make sure they have food and water, they've taken care of their pets, and check on their family members. Take the time now to prepare so when this storm makes landfall you're already where you need to be," Kidd said.
The Lt. Governor also stressed that many people are on vacation and may not be paying close attention to the news, so if you know anyone vacationing along the coast you are urged to text or call them to make sure they know there is a dangerous storm on the way.
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