Hurricane Harvey, a tropical storm that grew into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, breached land today near Corpus Christi, Texas. Currently a Category 4 hurricane, it is winding up in strength and plunging through the east coast of Texas. With winds over 130 mph, the storm is expected to dump more than 35 inches of rain.

The storm is expected to last more than five days, with significant damages to homes and infrastructure. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urges millions of people on the east coast of Texas and even southern portions of Louisiana to evacuate immediately, keeping safety a priority.

“My top goal is to be able to make it through this storm in a way in which we lose no lives,” Abbott said. “Put your life first and your property second.”

While the ports of Galveston and Corpus Christi have officially been closed, Abbott has requested federal assistance in case of catastrophe with a presidential disaster declaration. Whitehouse homeland security advisor, Thomas Bossert said the declaration is under consideration, while President Trump tweeted his support.

I have spoken w/ @GovAbbott of Texas and @LouisianaGov Edwards. Closely monitoring #HurricaneHarvey developments & here to assist as needed.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2017

Although many are fleeing inland, many are choosing to stay in Corpus Christi to weather the storm.

“The water is going to be the issue,” Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb said. “We’ve never had anything like this.”

Mayor McComb strongly encourages evacuation, especially the low lying areas of Area A and B as seen in the map below (pink and yellow area). pic.twitter.com/Z5gspafgSn

— CityOfCorpusChristi (@cityofcc) August 24, 2017

 The Federal Emergency Management Agency has sent about 250,000 meals, 77,000 liters of water and 4,000 tarps to the San Antonio’s Randolph Air Force Base evacuees. Churches along the coast have become shelters and refugee centers, while Red Cross teams from Oklahoma and Arkansas have deployed volunteers in preparation for the onslaught.

“This is a dangerous storm and the next few days are going to challenge everyone along the Gulf Coast. This is the time for folks to come together to support one another,” said Brad Kieserman, vice president of Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross. “We are launching our largest hurricane relief effort in years, and with the help of our partners, we are ready to shelter thousands of people.”

Considering almost a third of the nation’s refinery capacity resides in the Gulf, the storm is also affecting energy companies. Some natural oil and gas companies are being forced to temporarily shut down facilities in the Gulf, such as Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp. They are working to swiftly evacuate staff from offshore facilities. Oil and gas prices are expected to rise, depending on how severe the storm becomes.