President Donald Trump tweeted he had signed the disaster proclamation.

Abbott requested the declaration ahead of Harvey's arrival to the Texas coast. The storm is expected to be one of the strongest to hit the country in years.

"This is going to be a major disaster," Abbott said after a briefing from emergency officials at the Texas Department of Public Safety. "My goal is to make it through this storm in a way that we lose no lives."

Earlier: Gov. Greg Abbott asked President Trump Friday for a presidential disaster declaration, which would allow federal money to flow to areas heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey.