"Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storms Laura and Marco beginning on 22 August 2020, and continuing", the White House said in a Sunday statement.
During a White House press briefing on Sunday, Trump warned that the storms could lead to substantial damage.
"This is somewhat unprecedented, the scope of the storms and also the fact that they come so quickly after one another, both storms have the potential of gathering strength before they make landfall and could cause significant damage", Trump said.
Tropical Storm Marco was declared a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday and is expected to make landfall on Monday. Storm Laura is expected to hit Louisiana 48 hours after Marco.
On Saturday, Trump approved emergency assistance to Puerto Rico, which has been hit by Tropical Storm Laura. The storm had brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to Puerto Rico, causing flooding and landslides and leaving thousands of people without power.
In Haiti, Tropical Storm Laura led to the death of five people - two women, two men, and a 10-year-old girl, according to information from Haiti’s civil protection authority, released on Twitter. In the Dominican Republic, the storm reportedly killed three people, according to the Weather Channel.
By the time Tropical Storm Laura reaches Louisiana, it is expected to be a Category 2 hurricane.