Hurricane season officially started on June 1, and experts predict we’ll see more than normal this year. If there’s a hurricane and you have to shelter in place, think about things like:
- Stocking up on food and water
- Making a plan for how to stay in touch with people
- Having a backup power source
- Putting together a “Go Bag”
- Knowing your transportation options
Learn more about how to prepare for hurricanes – Hurricane Preparedness for Texans with Disabilities
See the resources below for additional information to help you prepare for hurricanes:
Local Information & Resources
Offices of Emergency Management (OEM)
- Austin County Emergency Management
- Bell County Office of Emergency Management
- Calhoun County Office of Emergency Management
- Collin County Emergency Management
- Cooke County Emergency Management
- Coryell County Emergency Management
- Dallas County Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Denton County Emergency Management
- Eastland County Judge
- Ellis County Office of Emergency Management
- Falls County EMC/911
- Guadalupe County Office of Emergency Management
- Hardin County Office of Emergency Management
- Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
- Henderson County Emergency Management
- Levelland – Hockley County Emergency Management
- Houston Office of Emergency Management
- Jasper County Emergency Management Homeland Security
- Jones County Emergency Management
- Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management
- Lamar County Office of Emergency Management
- Leon County Emergency Management
- Liberty County Office of Emergency Management
- Montague County Emergency Management Coordinator
- Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management
- Navarro County Office of Emergency Management
- Newton County Emergency Management Director
- Polk County Office of Emergency Management
- San Jacinto County Office of Emergency Management
- Smith County Fire Marshal/Office of Emergency Management
- Terrell County Office of Emergency Management
- Trinity County Office of Emergency Management
- Tyler County Office of Emergency Management
- Van Zandt County Emergency Management
- Walker County Office of Emergency Management
- Waller County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Shelter & Safety
- Red Cross – find an open shelter
- Red Cross Safe & Well – to register yourself as “Safe and Well” or search for loved ones online
Returning Home
- Drivetexas.org – flooded roads and conditions. Remember: Turn Around Don’t Drown!
- TCEQ – information for public water systems, household debris management, safe drinking water
- Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs – disaster relief resources
- Texas Department of Insurance – help after the storm
- Office of Public Insurance Counsel – about residential property insurance claims
- TDLR – recovery resources for licensees
- Long-Term Disaster Recovery Toolkit for Individuals with Disabilities
- Ready.gov – returning home after a hurricane
Recovery from a Hurricane
Recovering from a hurricane can be a long and difficult process. Whether you’ve been affected by major declared disasters or not, help may be available.
Major declared disasters
If a hurricane is declared a major disaster, a wide range of assistance programs become available.
If you have been affected by a major declared disaster, short-term assistance may be available via the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individual Assistance program. It is important to keep track of all expenses related to the disaster, and to document any damage to your property or belongings.
For long-term recovery assistance, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) administers GLO recovery programs that may provide grants to help with longterm recovery housing needs. Another potential resource, if you are eligible and grants are available, is through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Single Family Housing Rural Disaster Home Repair Grants.
Non-major declared disasters
For a non-major declared disaster, unfortunately federal resources and supports do not become available, but there may be assistance that can help with recovery efforts at the local level. Short-term and long-term recovery assistance may be available from local organizations, non-profits, or faith-based groups. Thus, it is important to know, ahead of time (i.e., during “blue-sky times”) what community-based organizations are established in your area and identify ways to get information from them.