Harris County Prepares For Tropical Storm Laura’s Landfall; Galveston Recommends Some Areas Evacuate

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo updates the public as Tropical Storm Laura approaches the Gulf Coast, on Aug. 24, 2020.

Houston-area leaders urged the region to prepare for severe winds and Galveston recommended some parts of the city evacuate Monday, as Tropical Storm Laura makes its way to the Gulf coastline.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said to “prepare for the worst,” even as some models project the brunt of the storm — projected to become a hurricane before making landfall — would hit further east in Texas and Louisiana before making its way north.

Greater Houston is still expected to see severe winds, and Hidalgo recommended all Harris County residents check their evacuation zone in the event of an emergency.

“Right now residents across Harris County and within our region should be making preparations for landfall of a hurricane,” Hidalgo said. “We can’t wait for another forecast hoping it will improve.”

Houston and Harris County have both activated their respectives offices of emergency management, and were monitoring the air for pollution, in the wake of disasters like the fires that broke out Arkema’s Crosby plant during Hurricane Harvey.

The storm hits even as the region continues to respond to COVID-19, which is still not under control throughout Greater Houston. Hidalgo said the Red Cross was ready to open its shelters if needed, while taking COVID-19 precautions. And, she said, they were evaluating the risks of spreading the virus even when determining whether to evacuate some areas.

“You’re asking folks to leave, stay with friends and family — that is additional exposure,” she said. “So we’re thinking about all these things, weighing the risks.”

Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner stressed that there would likely be no clear forecast until Tuesday morning, and said all resident should be prepared to evacuate if needed.

“We find ourselves here again,” said Turner, who called the combination of Laura and a weakening Tropical Storm Marco, “historic.”

“But the good news is that we are battle tested, and so we are ready to deal with this situation as well,” Turner said.

Galveston asks some areas to evacuate

City of Galveston Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown, meanwhile, issued a voluntary evacuation for people in the city’s lowlying areas, and west of the end of the Seawall, effectie 1 p.m. Monday.

The city said there is still “a high degree of uncertainty” about the storm, and that people should be prepared to act quickly. Brown also said the city could issue a mandatory evacuation of the island as “early as tonight or tomorrow morning depending on developments in the storm.”

“There is potential for the storm to track closer to Galveston, but there are still many uncertainties,” the city wrote on its website. “However, it is increasingly apparent that Galveston is likely to feel the effects of the storm, including wind, rain and potential flooding.”

The city said its also working with local nursing homes, and has asked RV parks to have all guests vacate, and to close their premises.

TDCJ to evacuate Beaumont facilities

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice will evacuate six of its facilities and part of a seventh in the Beaumont and Jasper areas in preparation for tropical storms Laura and Marco.

TDCJ spokesman Jeremy Desel said the Beaumont Residential Reentry Center, two transitional treatment centers, the Gist State Jail, the LeBlanc Unit prison, and portions of the Stiles Unit prison in Beaumont, as well as the Goodman Unit in Jasper began evacuations early Monday. About 3,600 incarcerated people and treatment facility clients were part of the move, expected to be completed later today, Desel said.

All are being transported by bus and accompanied by correctional staff.

TDCJ said it was taking COVID-19 precautions with the move, with both staff and incarcerated people wearing masks and personal protective equipment at all times.