President Donald Trump will travel to Texas on Tuesday to survey the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, as more rain is forecast to fall and much of the area around Houston remains flooded.
The White House announced the trip Sunday, and the quick move will pose a logistical challenge following the historic levels of flooding. Trump has been engaged with disaster relief efforts, tweeting about the storm and overseeing the federal government's response.
"The president will travel to Texas on Tuesday," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. "We are coordinating logistics with state and local officials, and once details are finalized, we will let you know."
"We continue to keep all of those affected in our thoughts and prayers," she added.
Trump will not visit Houston, a city hammed by the storm, during his trip, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R.).
"The place he will be going to will not be Houston so [he] will not be getting into harm's way or interrupting the evacuations or emergency response in the Houston area," Abbott said Monday on "CBS This Morning," Politico reported. "He most likely will be going closer to where the hurricane hit land."
First Lady Melania Trump will join the president on the trip, according to a White House aide.
NEW: First Lady Melania Trump will travel to Texas with Pres Trump this week, in response to Harvey, per WH aide.
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) August 28, 2017
Before the Tuesday trip was announced, President Trump tweeted that he wanted to be there as soon as possible while prioritizing safety.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/901791391130554370
Abbot and Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) are set to tour the state's Coastal Bend area that Harvey devastated, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) likely to join as well.
As weather experts continue to grapple with the effects of a storm that is being called "unprecedented," the threat of more rain greatly complicates travel to or from the area. Some forecasts have the storm system going back over the ocean and dropping more rain on Texas.
UPDATED 12:10 P.M.: This post was updated to include Abbott's comments on Trump not visiting Houston.