With hurricane season starting on June 1, Missouri City residents are urged to plan ahead to ensure they are prepared in the event a storm hits the area. Hurricane season lasts from June 1 to Nov. 30.
“Everyone should be preparing for a hurricane well before one is on the way, not the day before a storm arrives,” said John Sheffield, Missouri City’s Division of Emergency Preparedness chief. “During Hurricane Awareness Week, May 23 to 30, we encouraged families to plan what they will do if a hurricane strikes our area, including where all family members should meet, making a household emergency supply kit and having food and water in storage.”
If possible, residents should purchase supplies over a period of time and build up their emergency kit throughout the season to ensure that they can weather several days without basic necessities such as electricity and tap water.
Fort Bend County is designated by the state as a pass-through county for evacuees who live along the Gulf Coast. As a municipality in Fort Bend County, Missouri City would not be under a mandatory evacuation if a hurricane were to hit the region – so it is imperative that residents be prepared to shelter in place.
The city’s Emergency Operations Center at the Public Safety Headquarters on Cartwright Road is equipped to coordinate the response and recovery efforts for any emergency situation, including hurricanes.
“As this hurricane season begins, residents can rest assured that their City officials are ready to manage any crisis through the EOC,” Sheffield said. “All year, city staff has been participating in emergency management training sessions so that we’re able to respond to every kind of disaster. We are continuously working with the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management and other local and statewide agencies to coordinate preparedness efforts for this season’s potential storms.”
Recommended items for an emergency supply kit include:
A three-day supply of non-perishable food, a manual can opener and one gallon of bottled water per person per day
Coolers for food and ice storage
Flashlights, a battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries
Important documents and records, photo IDs, proof of residence and information to process insurance claims
Credit cards and cash (with power out, banks and ATMs may not be available).
The Governor’s Division of Emergency Management suggests obtaining items needed to board up homes and windows. Other precautions include reviewing insurance policies for protection against wind and flood damage and obtaining waterproof containers for important papers, such as insurance or medical prescriptions.
Major storms can cause flooding and tornadoes hundreds of miles away, Sheffield said. In addition, check these Web sites:
For tips on regional disaster preparedness: www.missouricityready.com; www.readyhoustontx.gov or www.onestorm.org
For ideas on developing emergency plans and supply kits: www.texasprepares.org/ReadyOrNot or www.missouricityready.com
To catch the latest weather information, check the National Weather Service website: www.nws.noaa.gov.
The Texas Department of Transportation’s Hurricane Information website has information on road conditions during or after a storm: www.dot.state.tx.us/travel/hurricane.htm.
