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HURRICANE AWARENESS

Preparation

• Learn safe routes inland.

• Learn location of official shelters.

• Obtain and store materials, such as plywood, necessary to properly secure your home.

• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.

• Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed.

• Review your insurance policy.

• Prepare or restock a Hurricane Kit

Individuals with special needs or others requiring more information should contact their local National Weather Service office, emergency management office, or American Red Cross chapter. They should also register with the Emergency Managers to insure that assistance will be available. To register, simply dial 2-1-1. If you reside inside the city limits you may also register on-line here. All information will be kept confidential and used only by Galveston Emergency Managers for planning purposes.
 

When in a Watch Area...

• Frequently listen to radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio for official bulletins of the storm's progress.

• Fuel and service family vehicles.

• Inspect and secure mobile home tie downs.

• Prepare to cover all window and door openings with shutters or other shielding materials.

• Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.

• Prepare to bring inside lawn furniture and other loose, light-weight objects, such as garbage cans, garden tools, etc.

• Have on hand an extra supply of cash.

Plan to evacuate if you...

• Live in a mobile home. They are unsafe in high winds, no matter how well fastened to the ground.

• Live in an area near the bayou that is susceptible to tidal flooding 

When in a Warning Area...

• Closely monitor radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio for official bulletins.

• Complete preparation activities, such as putting up storm shutters, storing loose objects, etc.

• Follow instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately if told to do so!

• If evacuating, leave early (if possible, in daylight). Stay with friends or relatives, at a low-rise inland hotel/motel, or go to a pre-designated public shelter outside a flood zone.

• Notify neighbors and a family member outside of the warned area of your evacuation plans.

• Put food and water out for a pet if you cannot take it with you. Public health regulations do not allow pets in public shelters, nor do most hotels/motels allow them.

What to bring to a shelter: first-aid kit; medicine; baby food and diapers; cards, games, books; toiletries; battery-powered radio; flashlight (one per person); extra batteries; blankets or sleeping bags; identification, valuable papers (insurance), and cash.

If you ARE told to leave, do so immediately!

The Mayor or County Judge are authorized to call for a mandatory evacuation of the city if conditions warrant.  If an evacuation is called for you must leave the area following the prescribed evacuation routes.

Evacuation orders will be publicized in the local media.  For this reason it is important that you stay tuned to the radio or television news anytime a hurricane threatens.  Hurricanes are known to change course and intensities quickly.  For your safety stay alert. 

REMEMBER - It can truly be a matter of life and death.

If Staying in a Home...

Only stay in a home if you have NOT been ordered to leave. 

Stay inside a well constructed building. In structures, such as a home, examine the building and plan in advance what you will do if winds become strong. Strong winds can produce deadly missiles and structural failure.

• Turn refrigerator to maximum cold and open only when necessary.

• Turn off utilities if told to do so by authorities.

• Turn off propane tanks.

• Unplug small appliances.

• Fill bathtub and large containers with water for sanitary purposes.

If winds become strong...

• Stay away from windows and doors even if they are covered. Take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway.

• Close all interior doors. Secure and brace external doors.

• If you are in a two-story house, go to an interior first-floor room, such as a bathroom or closet.

• If you are in a multiple-story building and away from the water, go to the first or second floors and take refuge in the halls or other interior rooms away from windows.

• Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.

Be Alert For:

• TORNADOES which often are spawned by hurricanes.

• The calm "EYE" of the storm. After the eye passes, the winds will change direction and quickly return to hurricane force.

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