The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is monitoring the potential for impact from Tropical Depression Harvey over the next few days.
Houston is currently under a Tropical Storm Watch and a Storm Surge Watch as tropical storm conditions, and storm surge along the coast are expected within the next 48 hours. Impacts from Harvey will likely begin Friday and continue through the weekend.
Tropical Storms can bring heavy rain, strong winds, storm surges, and power outages. The main threat from this system will be heavy rainfall, which is likely to cause flash flooding and area flooding.
Although the exact track and intensity of this system is uncertain – it is important for Houston residents to pay close attention and begin taking steps in the event an emergency situation occurs as a result of this storm.
Steps to Take Now
- Ensure your family has 5-7 days worth of food, water and supplies.
- This includes enough prescription medication to get you through this period, in case pharmacies and doctors’ offices are closed.
- If you have seniors, children, pets or other special circumstances, make sure their individual needs are met.
- Develop a family communication plan, so that you know who to check in with after a storm. Visit ready.gov for more information on how to do this.
- Monitor current conditions with the National Weather Service at weather.gov/houston, and the National Hurricane Center at hurricanes.gov.
- Know how to turn off your utilities, this includes electricity, water, and gas. Only turn off gas if instructed by local officials,or by CenterPoint energy.
Where to Get More Information
During these types of situations, rumors and misinformation can be everywhere. That’s why it is important to seek out official information from trusted sources.
This includes:
- City of Houston Emergency Information Center (houstonemergency.org)
- National Weather Service, Houston/Galveston Forecast Office (weather.gov/houston)
- National Hurricane Center (hurricanes.gov)
- Local Television Meteorologists