Hurricane Preparedness

Be Informed

The first and most important step to prepare for a disaster is to be and stay informed. Knowing what to do before, during, and after an emergency is critical to being prepared.

Sign Up for Seabrook Alerts

Seabrook Alerts is the City of Seabrook's emergency notification system. It notifies residents by text message, email, and/or phone call of emergencies, evacuations, water issues, and other high-priority information.

Know Your Risk

While hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property, tropical storms and tropical depressions can also be devastating. The primary hazards from tropical cyclones (which include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) are storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents.

  • Storm Surge: During hurricanes, storm surge poses a significant risk, especially to coastal areas like Seabrook. It's the abnormal rise of water generated by a storm's winds, and it can cause flooding, structural damage, and even loss of life.
  • Flooding: Heavy rainfall associated with hurricanes can lead to widespread flooding from the overflow of bodies of water like rivers and lakes and urban runoff. Flash floods are particularly dangerous, occurring rapidly and with little warning.
  • Strong Wind: Hurricanes bring powerful winds that can cause extensive damage to buildings, infrastructure, and vegetation. These winds can also propel debris, leading to additional hazards and safety risks.
  • Tornadoes: Within the broader system of a hurricane, tornadoes can form rapidly and without much warning. These tornadoes can cause localized destruction, adding to the storm's overall impact.
  • Rip Currents: Even before a hurricane makes landfall, its effects can create dangerous rip currents along the coastline. These fast-moving currents can pull swimmers away from shore, posing a significant risk to beachgoers and water enthusiasts.

Know Your Evacuation Route

When evacuation orders are given, you won't have much time to plan your route out of town. Use the evacuation maps the Houston-Galveston Area Council and Harris County provided to make a plan now.

Know the Difference: Watch vs. Warning

  • A WATCH is issued when conditions are favorable for an emergency event to occur.
  • A WARNING is issued when an emergency event is actively happening.

Social Media

The City of Seabrook will post emergency information on the following channels:

Make a Plan

Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance how you will get to a safe place, how you will contact one another, how you will get back together, and what you will do in different situations.

Family Communication Plan

Complete the Family Communication Plan provided by Ready.gov. Once complete, you can email it as a PDF to ensure everyone who needs one has a copy.

Identify an Out-of-Town Contact (i.e., an Emergency Contact)

During an emergency, it may be easier to call someone who is long-distance than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members. It is also key that each family member memorize this number and other emergency contact numbers. Be sure to save your Emergency Contact number in your phone and label it ICE (In Case of Emergency). In the event of an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings.

Pick a Place to Meet

Depending on the type of disaster, you may need to shelter in place or evacuate. Make sure that no matter the situation, you have discussed and picked a common meeting place in case you are separated from your family.

Frequently Discuss Your Plan

It is not enough to make a plan and then forget about it. Be sure to set time aside each month to review your plan. Consider the types of emergencies that may occur in our area: flooding, hurricanes, chemical emergencies, etc. Discuss with your family what you would do in each situation. Have a plan for each scenario.

Consider Your Needs

As you prepare your plan, tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how you can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets, or specific needs like operating medical equipment. Keep in mind some of these factors when developing your plan:

  • Responsibilities for assisting others
  • Dietary needs
  • Medical needs, including prescriptions and equipment
  • Disabilities or access and functional needs, including devices and equipment
  • Pets or service animals

Be Informed

Ensure that each family member knows how to stay informed during emergencies. Keep lines of communication open with one another, plus stay up to date by signing up for SeabrookAlerts.

HGAC Hurricane Prep Guide Cover.pdf
HGAC Hurricane Prep Guide Supplement Cover.pdf

Build A Kit

A disaster supply kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in an emergency. You may have to evacuate immediately, and you can only take essential items with you. You may also have to survive on your own after the emergency, so having your own food, water, and other sufficient supplies for at least 7 days is a good idea. Your supplies should also contain items that help you manage electric and water outages.
  • Water - at least 1 gallon, per person, per day
  • Food - at least a 7-day supply of non-perishable food
  • Battery powered radio
  • Flashlight
  • Extra batteries
  • First aid kit
  • Whistle
  • Dust mask, plastic sheeting, & duct tape (to help filter contaminated air in case of shelter-in-place)
  • Toilet paper, wet wipes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal sanitation
  • Wrench and/or pliers
  • Manual can opener
  • Cell phone and solar charger(s)
  • Important family Documents (Birth certificates, insurance policies, identification, bank records, household inventory list, etc.)
  • Cash
  • Medications, prescriptions, and medical equipment
  • Pet food and water
  • Kennels or crates for pets
  • Blankets and towels
  • Change of clothes
  • Emergency contact list
  • Soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and personal hygiene items
  • Matches (in a waterproof container)
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Paper plates and cups
  • Paper and pencil/pen
  • Download a printable Emergency Supply List