Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1, and the governor of Texas is urging people to plan now. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared this week "Hurricane Preparedness Week."
"Hurricanes have, in recent years, inflicted hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of damage, but their human cost is far greater. From the 1900 Galveston Hurricane to Hurricane Harvey, thousands of
Texans have perished as a result of deadly tropical storms, and countless families have had to watch in anguish as their homes, livelihoods, and possessions were destroyed by the raging waters," Abbott wrote in the declaration.
Abbott is urging people to know whether they live on a flood plain and develop an evacuation and communication plan for their families. His declaration also encourages people to gather disaster supplies like flashlights, medicine, bottled water and non-perishable food before a tropical system might hit.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management held a disaster exercise last week in Austin. TDEM says 40 local and state agencies participated along with non-profits.
"Teamwork between our local, state, and federal partners is key to our response in moments of need, and exercises like Hurricane Indigo help us ensure readiness when a real major hurricane impacts Texas. As Texas state agencies and our partners review critical lessons to improve preparedness, TDEM urges Texans to plan ahead and stay prepared before disaster strikes," TDEM Chief Nim Kidd wrote in a statement.
Abbott says state and local agencies will also run outreach and education efforts to help people plan.
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