Galveston becomes a ghost town as residents evacuate ahead of storm

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The National Hurricane Center is warning of potential catastrophic damage from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the east through the San Luis Pass to the west of the Houston area, including Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula.

The Gulf so far is calm, but that will very likely change this afternoon.

The City of Galveston is currently under a series of curfews for this week as officials issued a mandatory evacuation for the area.

Those who do not comply with curfew rules will face a $1,000 fine.

The curfew hours are:

• Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 10:00 p.m. until Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 6:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 8:00 p.m. until Thursday, Aug. 27 at 6:00 a.m.
• Thursday, Aug. 27 at 8:00 p.m. until Friday, Aug. 28 at 6:00 a.m.

It was a busy day yesterday as people scrambled to get off the island.

Buses took those who cannot get themselves off the island to safety. The last bus rolled out yesterday evening.

Those who could get out on their own did so, but first they spent the day boarding up their homes and getting themselves ready for the impact of Hurricane Laura.

"I don't want to be in the shelter," he explained. "I don't want to be infected or infect anybody."

Many are taking this seriously and leaving the island, others have decided to stay.

"I won't be staying here," one resident told ABC13. "I'll just board up and cross fingers."

"We have a standby generator that will give us power and we feel very comfortable staying here," another resident said.

Stronger winds and rain bands are expected to arrive this afternoon.

Follow Jeff Ehling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Not everyone is boarding buses to evacuate Galveston Island.