The details
To ensure residents are prepared for hurricane season, Precinct 4 will host a family-friendly Meet the Heroes of Hurricane Preparedness workshop June 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at Bayland Park at 6400 Bissonnet St., Houston, according to a June 3 news release.
During the event, residents are invited to meet those who come to the rescue during weather emergencies, including area first responders and the Precinct 4 Road and Bridge Crews, as well as see the precinct’s high-water vehicles.
Additional hurricane preparedness workshops hosted by the precinct include:
- July 20: Radack Community Center at 18650 Clay Road, Houston, from 10 a.m.-noon
- July 27: Kendall Library at 609 N. Eldridge Parkway, Houston, from 2-4 p.m.
- Aug. 10: Burnett Bayland Community Center at 6000 Chimney Rock Road, Houston, (Spanish language workshop) from noon-2 p.m.
Looking back
The Greater Houston area has already been hit with severe weather in May, including tornadoes and high winds, leading to widespread power outages and damage across the area, Community Impact reported.
“The last two weeks have demonstrated that severe weather emergencies can happen at any moment,” Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said in the release. “I am committed to ensuring every Precinct 4 resident has access to the information they need to keep themselves, their families and their property safe this hurricane season.”
What else?
Precinct officials also launched a new hurricane preparedness website to provide residents with information about hurricane season and how they can best prepare. The website shares information on:
- Signing up for emergency alerts
- Preparing for evacuation
- Creating an emergency kit
- Locating weather resources and forecasts
Why it matters
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a more active hurricane season with an 85% chance of an above-normal season, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said at a May 23 NOAA news conference.
The NOAA predicts anywhere from 17 to 25 named storms in the Atlantic Ocean with eight to 13 of those storms becoming hurricanes with winds of at least 74 miles per hour and four to seven major hurricanes with wind speeds at 111 mph or stronger, Community Impact reported.
“It’s not a matter of if the next big storm will hit but when,” Briones said. “By preparing now, mobilizing our resources and working together, we can do our part to fortify our communities against whatever challenges this hurricane season brings.”
