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Free guide · Texas Gulf Coast

Getting ready for hurricane season: a little now helps a lot later.

If you live around Houston, Galveston, or anywhere on the Texas Gulf Coast, a few simple steps can keep your family safer when a storm comes. This page covers knowing your evacuation zone, signing up for alerts, building a kit, getting extra help if you need it, and what to do after the storm.

  • Last checked: October 11, 2026
  • Nonpartisan
  • General information, not legal advice

Please read: This page is general information, not legal advice. During a storm, always follow instructions from local officials. Every key fact below links to the official source we used. If your life is in danger, call 9-1-1.

The short answer

  1. Know your zone. Look up your evacuation zone on the yearly Houston-Galveston map.
  2. Sign up for alerts from ReadyHarris, and follow the National Weather Service.
  3. Build a kit with water, food, and supplies for several days.
  4. Need help to evacuate? Register with STEAR, the free state registry.
  5. After a storm, stay safe, watch out for repair scams, and call 2-1-1 or FEMA for help.

Sources: Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC); ReadyHarris; Ready.gov; Texas Division of Emergency Management

When is hurricane season?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. It peaks around September 10, with most storms between mid-August and mid-October. Storms can still happen outside those dates. (National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology)

Hurricanes aren't just a coastal problem. Rain, wind, flooding, and even tornadoes can happen far inland. (Ready.gov, Hurricanes)

Know your zone

The Houston-Galveston region uses storm surge evacuation zones: Coastal, A, B, and C. Knowing yours helps you leave safely and on time if officials call for it. (H-GAC, Hurricane Preparedness)

  • Find your zone on the 2026 evacuation zone map (by ZIP code). Make sure the map you use has the current year on it. (H-GAC; ReadyHarris)
  • Download the evacuation route map from the H-GAC hurricane page too, especially if you live in the Coastal zone. (H-GAC)
  • H-GAC says to evacuate only if you live in a storm surge evacuation zone and are told to. If you aren't ordered to leave, get ready to shelter in place. (H-GAC)

What the orders mean

  • Shelter in place: stay inside, away from windows.
  • Voluntary evacuation: officials recommend that people in an area leave.
  • Mandatory evacuation: there is immediate danger. Don't wait. Follow the evacuation route and local officials.

Source: H-GAC, Hurricane Preparedness

Need help evacuating? Sign up for STEAR

The State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) is a free registry. It gives local emergency planners and responders information about people in their community who may need extra help in an emergency. (Texas Division of Emergency Management, STEAR)

It's for people such as:

  • people who are medically fragile;
  • people with limited mobility or communication barriers;
  • people who need transportation help to evacuate; and
  • people who need personal care or extra medical help in an emergency.

How to sign up: register online at stear.texas.gov, or dial 2-1-1 (video relay users can call 211 at 877-541-7905). Paper forms are available in English and Spanish. (TDEM, STEAR)

Important: signing up for STEAR does not guarantee you will get a specific service in an emergency. Services vary by community. Keep your own plan too, and ask your local emergency management office how your area uses STEAR. (TDEM, STEAR)

Build a kit

After a storm, you may need to get by on your own for several days. H-GAC suggests supplies for at least three days. (Ready.gov, Build a Kit; H-GAC) A basic kit could include:

  • Water: one gallon per person, per day, for several days (for drinking and washing)
  • Food: a several-day supply of food that won't spoil, and a manual can opener
  • A battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and a NOAA Weather Radio
  • Flashlight, first aid kit, and extra batteries
  • Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
  • Prescription medicines and glasses
  • Copies of important papers, like ID, in a waterproof container
  • Pet food and water, if you have pets
  • Local maps, a whistle, and moist towelettes and garbage bags for sanitation

Source: Ready.gov, Build a Kit

ReadyHarris has an Emergency Essentials Checklist and a hurricane brochure in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Arabic on ReadyHarris.org.

Sign up for alerts

During the storm

  • Pay attention to alerts. If you're in a mandatory evacuation zone and officials say go, go right away.
  • For high winds, go to a storm shelter or an inside room.
  • If flooding traps you, go to the highest level of the building, but don't climb into a closed attic. You could get trapped.
  • Turn Around, Don't Drown. Don't walk, swim, or drive through flood water. Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep a car away.

Source: Ready.gov, Hurricanes

After the storm

Stay safe

  • Wait for local officials to say it's safe before going back or going into damaged buildings. (H-GAC)
  • Stay away from downed power lines and standing water. Flood water can carry germs, chemicals, and electricity. (H-GAC; Ready.gov)
  • Use generators only outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and attached garages. Never heat your home with a gas stove or oven. Carbon monoxide can kill. (Ready.gov, Power Outages)
  • Take photos of any damage before you clean up. (H-GAC; Ready.gov)

Getting help

Avoiding repair scams

After a storm, door-to-door contractors often show up. Many are honest, but some are not. The Texas Attorney General suggests:

  • Get more than one estimate. Don't let anyone rush you into signing.
  • Check them out online, and ask for references from past customers.
  • Get everything in writing and keep copies. If you sign at home, the contract must include a notice giving you three business days to change your mind.
  • Never sign a contract with blank spaces.
  • Ask for proof of insurance.
  • Don't sign completion papers or make the final payment until the work is done right.
  • Contractors from out of the area working on emergency repairs generally can't require payment before work begins.

Source: Texas Attorney General, Disaster Scams

Price gouging (charging way too much for things like water, food, fuel, or housing after the governor declares an emergency) is illegal in Texas. Report it, or any scam, to the Texas Attorney General by filing a complaint online or calling 800-621-0508. (Texas Attorney General; Texas Department of Insurance)

Want to give to storm relief? The Attorney General suggests giving to charities you already know, and not using links in emails you didn't ask for. (Texas Attorney General)

Food and water safety

Food after the power goes out

  • Keep the fridge and freezer doors closed. A fridge keeps food safe for up to 4 hours without power. A full freezer holds for about 48 hours (24 hours if half full).
  • Throw out perishable food like meat, fish, eggs, milk, and leftovers that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours.
  • Never taste food to check if it's safe. When in doubt, throw it out.

Sources: FoodSafety.gov, Food Safety During a Power Outage; Ready.gov, Power Outages

Water

  • After a hurricane or flood, tap water may not be safe. Follow your local health department or water system's instructions, such as a boil-water notice.
  • If water may be unsafe, don't use it to drink, brush teeth, wash dishes, make ice, or make baby formula. Use bottled, boiled, or treated water.
  • To boil: if the water is cloudy, filter it through a clean cloth or coffee filter first. Bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with tight lids.
  • Boiling does not make water with fuel or chemicals in it safe. Use bottled water instead.

Source: CDC, How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency

Questions people ask

I don't live near the beach. Do I need to worry?

Yes, you should still get ready. Flooding, wind, and tornadoes can happen far inland. But H-GAC says you should only evacuate if you live in a storm surge evacuation zone and are ordered to. Otherwise, plan to shelter in place. (Ready.gov; H-GAC)

Does STEAR mean someone will come get me?

Not necessarily. STEAR helps local planners know who may need help, but it doesn't guarantee a specific service. Ask your local emergency management office what to expect, and have a backup plan. (TDEM)

Can I sign up for STEAR for someone else?

TDEM asks, "Do you or anyone you know need some assistance during times of an emergency event?" and offers online, phone (2-1-1), and paper forms. Call 2-1-1 to ask about registering someone you help care for. (TDEM)

When can I apply to FEMA?

Only after a disaster is declared that includes help for individuals in your area. DisasterAssistance.gov lists the states and counties where you can apply, and the deadlines. (DisasterAssistance.gov)

Someone offered to fix my roof today if I pay up front. Is that OK?

Be careful. The Attorney General says contractors from another area doing emergency repairs generally can't require payment before work begins. Get more than one estimate and don't feel rushed. (Texas Attorney General)

Where to get help

Sources

We used only official sources. All were checked on October 11, 2026.

  1. Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC): Hurricane Preparedness and Evacuation Planning
  2. H-GAC: 2026 Hurricane Evacuation Map, ZIP Zones
  3. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical Cyclone Climatology
  4. Texas Division of Emergency Management: State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR)
  5. Ready.gov: Build a Kit
  6. Ready.gov: Hurricanes
  7. Ready.gov: Power Outages
  8. ReadyHarris: Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
  9. Ready Harris Accessible Alerts
  10. National Weather Service Houston/Galveston
  11. NWS Houston/Galveston: 2026 Hurricane Guide
  12. DisasterAssistance.gov (FEMA)
  13. 2-1-1 Texas (Texas Health and Human Services Commission)
  14. Texas Attorney General: Disaster Scams
  15. Texas Attorney General: File a Consumer Complaint
  16. Texas Department of Insurance: How to Avoid Contracting Scams
  17. FoodSafety.gov: Food Safety During a Power Outage
  18. CDC: How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency

Not legal advice. This guide is general information to help you get ready. It is not legal advice. What Would Jesus Prompt? is not a government office or emergency service. During a storm, follow local officials. Always confirm with the official sources above. Last checked: October 11, 2026.

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