Liberty County Emergency
Management |
The Liberty County Office of Emergency Management is responsible for the
comprehensive emergency management program for the county. Activities and
services cover the four phases of Emergency Management: Preparedness, Response,
Recovery, and Mitigation for disasters like flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes,
wild fires, hazardous material incidents and terrorism.
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Hurricane Evacuation
Tips |
Am I at risk from a
hurricane? |
Look at the color-coded map from the link (Risk Areas Map) on the left side
of the page. It shows the areas at risk from winds and storm surge associated
with hurricanes. There are five of these risk areas, each shown in a different
color and each corresponding to one of the five categories of hurricanes on the
Saffir/Simpson Scale. The stronger the storm, the greater the inland impact will
be and the more risk areas affected.
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How will I know when to
evacuate? |
Your local officials will tell you. During a "hurricane watch", listen to
your radio or television constantly. Emergency officials can interrupt routine
broadcasts to give special weather updates, warning messages, and evacuation
information. Tune to KLVI, 560 AM or KSHN, 99.9 FM for this information. For
24-hour weather broadcasts from the National Weather Service, tune to NOAA
Weather Radio on the high-band FM frequency 162.475 megahertz (MHz) that
broadcasts from Beaumont.
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How should I prepare for an
evacuation? |
Prepare a disaster supplies kit (see the list below) and pack it in your
vehicle. Make sure your car is in good repair and full of gas. Secure your home:
turn off the gas, water, and electricity; board up the windows and draw drapes
across them; brace garage doors; bring in or secure any loose objects in the
yard; and lock all windows and doors. If you have a boat, secure it on a trailer
near your house and fill it with water. Make arrangements for pets before you
leave; most public shelters, and many hotels and motels do not allow them. Leave
a note telling where you plan to go. Designate an out-of-area contact that
family and friends can call to get information on your whereabouts. Finally,
designate a meeting point for your family should you get
separated.
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What if I need help to
evacuate? |
Arrange beforehand with friends or family to help you evacuate. If you have
no one to turn to or you have special needs, get in touch with your local
officials now. They need to know who you are, where you live, and what kind of
help you need so they can be ready to provide aid when a storm
threatens.
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How long will it take to
evacuate? |
That depends on the size of the storm and the number of people who evacuate.
The chart on the reverse side will give you an idea, but keep in mind the times
shown are only estimates. They ask that all evacuation routes are open and only
show the time needed to move all traffic inland just beyond the threatened risk
areas. It will take longer to reach a shelter location or your final
destination. Also, keep in mind, if the chart shows 10 hours, officials won't
wait until the storm is 10 hours from landfall to begin an evacuation. Remember,
the goal is to get everyone out of the threatened area before evacuation routes
become impassable or unsafe due to flooding or high winds. This will happen when
the storm is still many hours away from landfall. So, don't be surprised if
there are no clouds and the sun is shining when local officials tell you to
evacuate. Follow their instructions; your health and safety are their main
concern.
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Where should I
go? |
Inland . . . away from the coast. Use the evacuation routes shown on the map.
Most of these roads are marked with blue hurricane evacuation signs. If you have
friends or family at an inland location, arrange beforehand to stay with them.
If you plan to stay in a hotel or motel, make reservations prior to departure to
ensure you have a room. Cities and towns along the main evacuation routes may
open public shelters, but these will be crowded and the "creature comforts"
limited. If you need to use a public shelter, listen to your radio as you are
evacuating to find out where shelters are open.
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