DALLAS — On the third anniversary of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall, evacuations were underway along the Texas coast as Hurricane Laura threatened to intensify into a major hurricane before making landfall.

Hurricane Laura was blowing winds of 75 mph in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico early Tuesday afternoon, moving north-northwest, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Laura is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane, with winds greater than 110 mph, before making landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday somewhere between the Galveston area and southwest Louisiana, according to KXAS-TV (NBC5) meteorologist Samantha Davies.

“As it continues to track over the incredibly warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, that’s when this system is really expected to strengthen,” Davies said.

Ahead of the storm, several Texas cities and counties along the coast issued mandatory evacuations, including Jefferson County and Galveston.

At a news conference Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents along the coast to take evacuation orders seriously.

“Those who stay behind maybe caught in situations where rescue operations will be challenged,” Abbott said.

With the continuing threat of the coronavirus pandemic, Abbott and Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said hotels are the safest places for families to seek shelter are hotels because they would be able to isolate from others there.

For those who seek shelter at evacuation centers, Kidd assured residents that those shelters will be supplied with personal protective equipment, and that the state was preparing to deploy mobile COVID-19 testing units as well.

Several cities across the state —including Mesquite, Ennis and San Antonio —would open evacuation shelters as early at Tuesday evening, Abbott said.

Some of the greatest threats Hurricane Laura poses include a potentially life-threatening storm surge from San Luis Pass to Louisiana and widespread flooding, according to the hurricane center.

Laura is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of rain in portions of Southeast Texas, and some areas could even see up to a foot of rain, according to Jack Beven, a senior hurricane specialist for the National Hurricane Center.

“This is a life-threatening situation,” Beven said. “Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.”

The hurricane center cautioned that Laura will pose wind and rain threats to inland cities after it makes landfall. “This will not just be a coastal event,” the center warned in an update.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued a voluntary evacuation order for portions of her county southwest of the Houston area, including the cities of Texas City, La Marque, Baytown and Alvin. Hidalgo urged residents not to take the storm lightly and to take necessary preparations.

“This is not Harvey, this is not Imelda, this is not Allison. This is Laura,” Hidalgo said at a news conference Monday. “Every storm is different, and we urge folks not to use any prior storm as a template for what or will happen. What we need to do is prepare for the worst.”

Hidalgo also asked residents to keep the COVID-19 pandemic top of mind and continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, and take other safety precautions.

“You’re asking folks to leave, stay with friends and family, that is additional exposure,” Hidalgo said. “Overall, we are preparing for each contingency and what we need the community’s help with is to do the same.”

After Laura makes landfall, the hurricane is expected to move north through East Texas and western Louisiana, according to Davies.

“As Laura passes by North Texas, we do expect some periods of rain, possibly heavy rain on Thursday,” Davies said. Laura could also bring some gusty winds to the area, but stronger winds should stay east of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, she added.

Abbott on Sunday asked President Donald Trump to issue a federal emergency for those counties.

Trump on Monday granted that federal emergency declaration, which will provide emergency protective measures such as evacuation and shelter support.

The hurricane center issued its final advisory for what was Hurricane Marco early Tuesday morning. After strengthening into a hurricane on Sunday, Marco rapidly weakened. Marco was originally forecast to hit the Houston and Galveston area, but the storm ended up moving east toward Louisiana.

With winds of just 30 mph, what’s left of Marco is expected to dissipate by Wednesday at the latest.