Hurricane Preparedness and Evacuation Planning

Create an emergency supply kit with essential supplies you will need to take with you when evacuating. If you’re not sure where to start, check out this H-GAC Hurricane Disaster Preparedness Kit, which includes essential items to protect you, your family, and your pets. Shop early and give yourself more time to buy emergency supplies. Have refills for prescriptions and other medical supplies your family uses regularly. If you have pets, we encourage you to utilize our Pet Disaster Checklist, compiled to help you in the event of an evacuation with your pet. Additionally, we have provided Pet Boarding Instructions in case you need to board your pet. It's essential to have these resources ready in case of an evacuation. Visit ready.gov/pets for more information about preparing pets for a natural disaster.

Residents who shelter in place during a hurricane or severe storm should have a well-stocked emergency supply kit. Below are some essential items every kit should include:

• Water (one gallon per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation)
• Food (at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food)
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
• Flashlight
• First aid kit
• Extra batteries
• Whistle (to signal for help if needed)
• Dust masks (to help filter contaminated air)
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
• Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
• Manual can opener
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

Visit ready.gov for more information on how to prepare your home and family for a hurricane and other disaster planning tips.

Review Important Documents

There are several essential documents you will want to take with you or safeguard in the event of an evacuation. These documents include your identification, insurance information, and medical information.

Make sure these documents are current and take measures to safeguard them now. Make copies and keep them in a safety deposit box or a secure, password-protected digital space. Visit ready.gov for a full list of critical documents to safeguard to prepare for a natural disaster.

Hurricanes bring destructive winds, heavy rains, and storm surge, posing serious threats to property and lives throughout the Houston-Galveston region. Armed with the right information and proactive measures, we can weather the storm together and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. Let this guide empower you to face the storm with confidence and resilience.

Residents who live outside the hurricane evacuation zones should be prepared to shelter in during a severe storm. Prepare an emergency supply kit with enough non-perishable food and water for at least three days. If you have pets or large animals in your care, plan to have enough food to last them for several days. Also, plan for relatives with medical or special needs.

Visit TogetherAgainstTheWeather.com for more information on how to prepare seniors and individuals who may be ill or have a disability for hurricane season. For detailed guidance and resources, access the 2024 H-GAC Hurricane Preparedness Guide Supplement for Seniors & Special Populations.

You may need to evacuate quickly during a hurricane. Make sure every member of your household is familiar with your evacuation zone, evacuation routes, and where you will stay. Practice with your family and pets. If you or anyone in your household has a disability, identify if you may need additional help during an evacuation. Residents with special needs can sign up for the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR). The STEAR program provides local emergency planners and first responders with additional information on the needs in their community. Learn more about STEAR at tdem.texas.gov/stear.

Shelter-in-Place Safety Tips

Pay close attention to the local news for emergency updates and official instructions. Stay inside, away from windows, skylights, and glass doors. Before the storm, turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings. This will keep food fresh longer if the power goes out. Store water in clean bathtubs, jugs, and bottles.

If the power goes out, unplug all appliances, TVs, stereos, and computers not connected to a surge-protected outlet. Doing this will reduce potential damages from power surges when electricity is restored. Store valuables and personal documents in waterproof containers. Keep flashlights handy.

It is important to know your evacuation zone and nearby available hurricane evacuation ahead of time so you and your family can evacuate quickly and safely when necessary. Hurricane evacuations are staggered to prevent highway congestion and allow for quicker, safer movement of people. If an evacuation becomes necessary, orders will be issued by emergency management personnel based on zones.

The Houston-Galveston region has four zone areas, classified based on their level of threat from storm surge.

Use the hurricane zone maps to easily find your evacuation zone so that you’ll be ready to move quickly if your zone is announced. If you have other family members who live in a coastal area, become familiar with their evacuation zone as well. You may be able to help them with their evacuation plans.

Zone maps are updated each year before hurricane season.

Hurricane evacuation routes are specially designated roadways used to supply the safest and most timely evacuation of coastal areas during a hurricane threat.

Once you are familiar with your zone, it is important to know the evacuation routes near you.

Download and save a copy of the evacuation route map so you know how to safely and quickly leave the area. Evacuation route maps are updated each year before hurricane season.

H-GAC’s Together Against the Weather website provides information to individuals with special needs and their caregivers. Visit TogetherAgainstTheWeather.com for more information on how to prepare for hurricane season.

FEMA's interactive map allows residents to enter an address and see whether a home is in a high-risk flood zone. Become familiar with your risk of floods and flood-related hazards before they occur.

The Harris County Office of Emergency Management has developed an interactive evacuation map to help residents decide if they live in an evacuation zone. Find out if your residence is in an evacuation zone to help develop your hurricane plan.

H-GAC works closely with many federal, state, regional, and local agencies to prepare for severe weather events and plan regional evacuation routes. Visit our Preparedness Resources page for more information on how to plan for severe weather and other emergencies from our partners throughout the region.