HOUSTON – Hurricane Barry served as a reminder to residents: remain prepared at all times this Hurricane Season!
"Our community needs to be ready year-around for emergencies," said Rick Flanagan, Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Houston. "We encourage residents to remained prepared throughout the entirety of hurricane season."
City Preparations
As the storm progressed last week, many City departments took necessary steps to prepare for any potential impacts to Houston from Barry:
- The Houston Fire Department evaluated the status of their rescue and evacuation boats and had them positioned all over the City as part of their normal readiness.
- Houston Public Works is prepared vehicles that can traverse high water in the even they were needed. They also evaluated the need for pre-staging barricades at designated low-water areas.
- The Houston Police Department has high water rescue trucks available for use in the event of significant street flooding.
- The Office of Emergency Management coordinated information with various partners, including neighboring jurisdictions and the State of Texas. In the event it was needed, OEM was prepared to activate the City's Emergency Operations Center.
Get Prepared
Our location along the Gulf Coast, in combination with our status as one of the nation’s industrial centers, leaves us vulnerable to many natural and human-caused hazards. Prepare you and your family today by following a four-step preparedness process: make an emergency plan, have an emergency kit, be informed about disasters, and help members of your community prepare themselves.
Follow official sources to remained aware throughout the entirety of hurricane season:
- Houston Office of Emergency Management: houstonoem.org
- Houston Emergency Site: houstonemergency.org
- National Weather Service Houston-Galveston: weather.gov/houston
The City of Houston offers emergency alerts through the AlertHouston emergency notification system. People who live or work in Houston can receive emergency notifications via email, text message and through a mobile app. Register for alerts today at www.alerthouston.org.