Start early and small to offset costly hurricane prep

For many Texans, being prepared for hurricane season, which is forecast to be “extremely active” this year, is easier said than done. The cost of stocking up on items can quickly add up for people on fixed incomes or those facing an increased cost of living because of inflation.

With the hurricane season officially starting June 1, local officials are encouraging residents to prepare for whatever the season may bring, by starting early and starting small.

“The muscle memory in this area is not what it used to be,” Harris County Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Murray said.

The last major hurricane to make direct landfall in Greater Houston was Hurricane Alicia in 1983, which came ashore as a Category 3 storm on the southern end of Galveston Island.

A survey by the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes of 500 people from 11 hurricane-prone states, including Texas, found that the number of residents who had prepared for a storm last year decreased by about 2% from the 2022 report. The 2024 survey comes out next month.

Build slowly

Many local officials also worry that Texas residents are not as apt to prepare for a tropical storm or hurricane, especially if it does not affect their community directly.

The first piece of advice Murray gives folks is start at home: “Take a look at what you already have. Don’t go out and buy flashlights because the list says to. Check and see that you have flashlights before you go out and buy more.”

Preparing your family for a hurricane or severe thunderstorm can start with one or two cans of nonperishable food at a time.

“A lot of the things that go in your preparedness kit, like canned food, are available at low-cost retail stores,” Murray said.

Bottled water also flies off of grocery store shelves when a storm looms. Instead of buying a gallon of water for each member of your family for a week, save your empty juice bottles or milk jugs and fill them with water before a storm.

In addition to offering inexpensive ways to stockpile food and water, Murray encourages people to ask themselves: “What would it take to prepare my home for a hurricane tomorrow?”

Keeping your yard free of debris, such as tree branches or children’s toys, can be a first small step toward preparing for a tropical storm or hurricane.

The condition of your home also will make a big difference.

“Take care of little things early on, like nailing down any loose shingles you may see on a roof,” he said.

Over the course of a weekend or two, these small items can be taken off your to-do list and larger problems can be prevented in the future.

Local resources

Rebuilding Together Houston, an organization that has served nearly 15,000 Southeast Texas residents with no-cost home repairs over the past 42 years, knows firsthand about the importance of preparation.

“There are 100,000 lowincome families in Harris County and Houston that are living in housing that they own themselves, but it’s hazardous to live in,” said the group’s CEO, Christine Holland. “The roof leaks or the structure is not stable or plumbing doesn’t work properly.”

The organization is prepared to help the most vulnerable before and after a natural disaster, Holland said.

“We jump in when there’s a natural disaster and we take advantage of the funding that’s available to repair everything in the house, not just what the hurricane damaged,” she said. “When there’s not a hurricane or other natural disaster, (Rebuilding Together Houston) is working with our corporate partners to return homes to a safe and healthy condition that protects them against future disasters.”

Begin preparing now

Sign up for alerts at ReadyHarris.org. They are available in English, Spanish, American Sign Language, and braille. Just text the word “Gulf2024” to 888777.

“The degree to which the residents of Harris County have traditionally helped each other before, during, and after disasters is one of the greatest things about where we live,” Murray said. “We all have a responsibility to spend some time educating our neighbors who maybe haven’t been through a hurricane before.”