Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 6-12
(Houston, TX) – Harris County Commissioners Court has designated May 6-12, 2018 as Hurricane Preparedness Week. This year, Commissioners Court presented the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) and representatives from the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (TGCR VOAD) with a proclamation for their efforts to promote preparedness during hurricane season.
“Our ability to collaborate before, during and after a crisis is a major strength in our region,” said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. “As we continue to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, I encourage residents to prepare in advance of the next storm.”
Early predictions for 2018 call for another above-average hurricane season. According to forecasters 12 to 14 tropical storms could develop between June 1 and November 30, six to eight of which may become hurricanes – three to five major hurricanes.
“Regardless of the number of hurricanes predicted, I would remind our residents that it only takes one to devastate a community,” added Judge Emmett. “Be assured that the county will continue to work to prepare our communities, but it is up to each individual to prepare themselves and their families.”
HCOHSEM recommends the following:
• Discuss and practice an emergency plan with your family
• Sign up to receive weather and emergency alerts
• Assemble an emergency supplies kit that includes a NOAA weather radio
• Have an emergency bag ready to go with important documents in case you need to evacuate
• Keep your vehicle’s gas tank full
• Trim trees and branches that can easily fall on your home or vehicle
• Secure loose objects outside your house before severe weather moves in
HCOHSEM’s ReadyHarris app sends emergency alerts, provides a step-by-step guide for building a personalized family disaster plan, offers survival tip sheets, maps evacuation routes and locates local emergency services. Download this free app from the App Store or Google Play.
Residents can sign up to receive emergency alerts at www.readyharris.org and can follow HCOHSEM on Facebook and Twitter.