Local officials are advising residents to take precautions during the course of hurricane season from June 1–Nov. 30, despite Tomball and Magnolia's distance inland from the coast.

Miranda Garvey, Community Emergency Response Team coordinator for the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management, said Tomball and Magnolia are considered pass-through communities and do not meet the criteria for mandatory evacuations during major storms. However, both communities are often affected during an evacuation.

"We ask folks from the coast to pass through our community and go north to the Dallas area [during an evacuation]," Garvey said. "When folks pass through, they take all of our stuff with them—gas, water and food. Even though we're staying here, sometimes it's tough."

In preparation for hurricanes and tropical storms, residents should have enough nonperishable food items and bottled water—at least one gallon per person each day—on hand to last at least 72 hours without electricity, Garvey said. Experts are predicting a lower risk of large storms in the Gulf of Mexico this year, but residents should still take precautions since weather conditions can deteriorate quickly, she said.

Mike Ott, a volunteer with Be Tomball Ready, an emergency planning committee he helped start five years ago, said state and Montgomery County officials have greatly improved the evacuation process along major roadways.

"I do know the state and county have both done a great deal just with the emergency planning committee," Ott said. "Just with the changes, the whole evacuation concept will run a whole lot smoother. Lots of really good things happened [during Hurricanes Ike and Rita]. A lot goes unnoticed, but it's comforting to know these folks are out there."

Ott said he encourages residents to keep extra batteries, fill their gas tanks, keep a to-go kit with supplies and plan ahead to care for elderly family members, those with special needs and pets in preparation for large storms. Be Tomball Ready officials established pod sites during Hurricane Ike with supplies and learned valuable lessons about how to better manage traffic for future emergencies.

Garvey said CERT offers a CodeRED program, which allows residents to sign up for messages or phone calls about emergency alerts on the organization's website at www.mctxoem.org. CERT posts live updates about weather warnings via its Facebook page and website, she said.