BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards released a statement early Sunday afternoon regarding the severe weather expected in the southwest portion of the state as a result of now Tropical Storm Harvey.

Gov. Edwards had a conference call with the South West Hurricane Task Force Sunday morning to receive the latest information on the powerful storm. Edwards says that he wants all of Louisiana to remain vigilant, as the storm could impact the state greatly in the upcoming week.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:

"We've just completed our morning briefing with the South West Hurricane Task Force. This storm is wreaking havoc along the Gulf Coast. It is critically important for the people of Louisiana, particularly those in Southwest Louisiana, to recognize that we are not out of the woods. I am asking all Louisianans to remain vigilant and pay attention to your local news. Louisiana will remain in this storm's path for the next week, from Southwest Louisiana to North Louisiana. Forecasts show this storm system making its way closer to Louisiana over the next 48 hours and causing heavy rainfall and potentially life-threatening flooding. We are closely monitoring this storm system and coordinating with our local and federal partners.

In addition to making the necessary preparations for this storm in Louisiana, we are in regular contact with our neighbors in Texas. Already, we have dispatched personnel from Louisiana to assist their efforts, including with search and rescue. Nearly 12 years ago, Texans opened their doors to the people of Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina devastated our state. Since then, we've turned to them for assistance time and again. In 2016, Texas Taskforce 1 was dispatched to our state to provide support during the historic floods. We will do nothing less to support to the people of Texas in any way that we can as they respond and recover from Hurricane Harvey."