A street is flooded in Galveston, Texas, the United States, Aug. 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey, which was moving toward the Texas Coast, would bring to the Houston region the worst of storm Friday night, according to the National Weather Service. (Xinhua/Robert Stanton)
HOUSTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Hurricane Harvey Friday evening was upgraded to category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 210 km per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane Harvey has been intensifying on Friday and is expected to become a major hurricane as it moves toward the Texas Coast in south U.S. According to the National Weather Service, the Houston region could begin seeing the worst of the storm starting Friday night.
The storm system has prompted officials to issue voluntary and mandatory evacuations of some coastal areas, school districts to postpone a return to classes and local governments to brace for life-threatening floods that could last through Monday.
At the behest of Abbott, more than 700 members of the Texas Army and Air National Guards, Texas State Guard and the Texas Military Department have been activated and are positioning themselves throughout the state.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday said in a press conference that President Donald Trump promised to offer federal resources to Texas ahead of Hurricane Harvey's arrival.
The federal support would be available to help the state assist in preparation, rescue and recovery efforts.
