Texas Lieutenant Governor Fills In Amid Beryl

As Tropical Storm Beryl inches closer to Texas, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is serving as Acting Governor while Governor Greg Abbott is on a weeklong trip to Asia, sparking controversy over his absence during the impending natural disaster.

URL for the article:
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/10/greg-abbott-taiwan-texas-office/

Abbott's justifications for the trip:

"Texas and Taiwan are critical economic partners that seek to drive the future of innovation...Both initiatives—an economic agreement and a new State of Texas Taiwan Office—will strengthen the economic and cultural relationship between Texas and Taiwan. By working together, we will ensure our people have the freedom and opportunity to thrive in the growing economies of the 21st century."

In contrast, Patrick's warning to Texans:

"As Acting Governor, I’ve been in constant communication with Texas state agencies and local leaders to coordinate preparations and response, and I will continue to do so...Do not ignore this storm."

Disaster declaration by Patrick for 121 counties:

"Based on the current forecast, heavy rain and some localized flooding could occur all the way from the coast through areas near College Station, Tyler, and Texarkana as the storm moves through Texas...Texans need to take heed, watch their local officials, and prepare today and tomorrow before the storm makes landfall early Monday morning."

List of the 121 counties under the disaster declaration:
Anderson, Angelina, Aransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brooks, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Camp, Cass, Chambers, Cherokee, Collin, Colorado, Comal, Dallas, Delta, DeWitt, Dimmit, Duval, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Fort Bend, Franklin, Freestone, Frio, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kaufman, Kenedy, Kinney, Kleberg, Lamar, Lavaca, LaSalle, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Live Oak, Madison, Marion, Matagorda, Maverick, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Milam, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Panola, Polk, Rains, Red River, Refugio, Robertson, Rockwall, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Shelby, Smith, Starr, Titus, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Uvalde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Wood, Zapata, and Zavala.