Photo taken on Aug. 31, 2017 shows flooded houses in Riverstone neighborhood, southwest of the Greater Houston, Texas, the United States. The two dams of Addicks and Barker in the West of Houston began to discharge on Monday due to the rising water levels caused by the tropical storm Harvey. The discharging resulted in new flooding areas along the Brazos River. (Xinhua/Gao Lu)

 

Governor of the US state of Texas Greg Abbott on Sunday issued a state disaster declaration for 23 counties as Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura are forecast to impact the state in the coming days.

At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Abbott also asked President Donald Trump to declare a federal emergency for those counties, requesting the federal government to provide assistance for the state.

"As Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura approach Texas, the state is taking necessary precautions to protect our communities and keep Texans safe," said Abbott.

Residents walk on a flooded road when leaving their neibourhood in Port Arthur, Texas, the United States, Aug. 31, 2017. Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 2017 as the most powerful hurricane hitting Texas in more than 50 years, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and damaging some 200,000 homes in a path of destruction that stretches for more than 500 km. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

 
"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."

According to the forecast, Hurricane Marco is expected to make landfall in the state of Louisiana on Monday before moving toward Texas on Tuesday evening as a depression. This hurricane is expected to bring heavy rain and tropical-storm-force winds to the Texas Coast and Southeast Texas as it approaches the state.

Tropical Storm Laura is forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday, and this storm is expected to make landfall anywhere over Southeast Texas or Louisiana early Thursday. Wind, heavy rain, and storm surges are expected on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Laura enters the Gulf of Mexico.