Houston severe weather: Judge Lina Hidalgo issues disaster declaration for Harris County, calls for mandatory evacuations [Video]

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A disaster declaration was issued for Harris County in response to Thursday’s ongoing flooding and heavy rainfall.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued the declaration during an afternoon press conference at Houston TranStar.

“We’ve had a tough week, but we are going to get through the next few days together. What we’re going to see tonight and into the weekend will not be Hurricane Harvey, but we are going to see significant impacts,” Hidalgo said.

The judge also called for mandatory evacuations for residents near the closest banks of the East Fork of the San Jacinto River.

Hidalgo said residents should be prepared to stay in their homes for two to three days or evacuate before nightfall.

“Our focus is on response right now, and once the immediate threat passes, we’ll move to recovery,” she said.

Specific areas under the mandatory evacuation include:

East Fork of the San Jacinto River from FM 1485 to Lake Houston

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