The peak of hurricane season begins in mid-August, and officials in The Woodlands have begun taking necessary precautions to ensure the safety of residents during the season.

Alan Benson, The Woodlands Fire Department chief, said hurricanes are not only a concern for residents along the coast as effects can still be felt for miles inland. As a result, The Woodlands Fire Department has added more equipment to its inventory and a new emergency computer software program that will help if a major storm hits the township.

“Each year, prior to the hurricane season, we go through a checklist of getting our equipment ready to utilize,” Benson said. “This year, we’ve purchased a new evacuation boat and replaced a rescue boat. We are also updating our capabilities at our emergency operation center.”

Benson said one of these updates includes an intelligent data portal to provide a platform for emergency service responders to receive real-time information from an emergency scene and interact with emergency personnel and first responders at that location.

“We can get videos and pictures from the scene of an emergency and also provide personnel with information, such as what areas are flooding and traffic control,” Benson said. “A drone is also available to use from the township, which gives us better surveillance. So we’re gearing up for [hurricane season].”

Benson also advised citizens to sign up for Smart911, a private and secure website where residents can create a safety profile of valuable information they want to provide to first responders as well as receive emergency alerts about the area.

Aside from new equipment and software being used by The Woodlands Fire Department, a variety of drainage projects in The Woodlands have also been under construction to help with flooding caused by major storm events.

Jim Stinson, general manager of the Woodlands Joint Powers Agency, said while The Woodlands was built with a master drainage plan, additional drainage projects have been identified to help with major flooding events.

“A number of projects were identified last year that, for a reasonable expense, would improve drainage in certain areas and situations,” Stinson said. “Our system is designed to handle 99 percent of rain that storms bring, but there is a 1 percent chance that rainfall will exceed our design perimeters and certain areas become at risk.”

Stinson said one local project includes construction at Lakeside Boulevard and Lake Woodlands Drive that is intended to reduce roadway ponding in The Woodlands. The $220,000 project—which is a joint effort by Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 7 and Montgomery County Precinct 3—is nearing completion and is in its final stages of construction.

Benson said even though there are a variety of initiatives and projects set in place to prepare for potential hurricanes, residents should not let their guard down and should prepare individually  and responsibly in case a major storm event takes place in The Woodlands.

“We don’t want residents to become [complacent],” Benson said. “We don’t want them to suffer from hurricane amnesia. A hurricane can still affect us here in The Woodlands even if we’re 86 miles from the coast.”