Several hurricane watches and warnings were given out that were related with Alicia. The first ones were a gale warning and a hurricane watch for the area of Corpus Christi, Texas to Grand Isle, Louisiana which was given out on August 16. On August 17, a hurricane warning was issued for Corpus Christi to Morgan City, Louisiana and later for Port Arthur, Texas. Originally, however, residents did not take the warnings seriously. Galveston Mayor E. Gus Manuel, against the advice of Texas Governor Mark White, ordered the evacuation of only low-lying areas.