Watch live: Gov. Greg Abbott addresses Hurricane Laura as it heads for southeast Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott is expected at noon Central Time to give an update on the state’s response to Hurricane Laura, which is expected to be a Category 4 hurricane and could strike part of southeast Texas Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Dangerous storm surge and wind damage is expected. Several cities and counties across the Gulf Coast have issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders ahead of the hurricane's approach.

With a hurricane approaching the Texas coast during a pandemic, local and state officials are looking to house evacuees in government-paid hotel rooms instead of large, often clustered emergency shelters, but there have already been capacity issues.