Corpus Christi prepares for Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey is barreling down on the Texas coast and cities in its path are preparing for the worst.

The storm is expected to make landfall Friday night into Saturday morning as a Category 3 hurricane.

Projections show Corpus Christi taking a direct hit.

The city has asked people to voluntarily evacuate, especially if they are in low lying areas.

It has been almost a decade since Texas has been hit by a hurricane and even longer since it's seen one of this magnitude. The Mayor has said those who can evacuate should go ahead and do so.

The storm is expected be a triple threat with high winds, a large storm surge and heavy rain.

Several hotels are closed to guests in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey.

Several people who live in the city have already begun boarding up their windows.

Meanwhile, the city has been handing out sandbags to residents for the past two days. People waited in line upwards of six hours for them. "My concern is the flood. The water's coming, rising, we're trying to get some sandbags here to seal my house and my father's house so that we can prevent any water going in, but I don't know if it's going to be enough," said JD Gonzalez who lives on the coast.

The city is also providing buses to transport anyone who is unable to evacuate on their own.

Three buses will take evacuees to shelters in San Antonio free of charge.