Growing up in Missouri, the concept of dealing with a hurricane is new for St. Louis native Justin Jones. Now attending college in Texas, Jones said he and his mom intend to stay put and wait out the storm.
Jones said many Texans have been doing last-minute grocery shopping, buying water and food.
"Before I leave work today, I'm going to buy some milk and water," he said.
He said the shelves at Sam’s Club, where he works are bare, as millions are preparing for what's to come.
"All the water has been gone since 7 in the morning,” Jones said. “We had five emergency trucks bring in a bunch of water. It's been gone within the first two hours of us opening."
When Hurricane Harvey makes landfall, it's expected to be more powerful than any storm in the area since Hurricane Ike in 2008.
"Your life is more important than anything. If you can do anything to get out of that area, you should do that."
The Missouri Synod has been responding to emergency situations for the past 10 years. They were on the ground in New Orleans, helping people affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The organization built 6,000 homes for the hardest hit areas. And they say they're preparing for the same type of devastation in Texas.
"The disaster coordinators have already rounded several hundred volunteers looking at especially the area that are going to be most affected," he said.
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has more than 100 locations in the path of the hurricane, and hundreds of volunteers are on the ground ready to help.
"When volunteers show up to express love for people they don't even know, you change a life forever," he said.
CEO Dr. Kurt Senske of Houston non-profit Upbring said they already have hundreds of volunteers on stand-by as well. When the storm clears, he said work will have only just begun.
"Where there will be loss of life, where there will be disaster, we will be there to help to rebuild that community and more important, rebuilding individual's lives, one by one," Dr. Senske said.
Jones said he and his family are praying for the safety of anyone else staying behind.
