What this is
Houston sits in one of the most hurricane-exposed regions of North America, with a history of devastating storms including Alicia in 1983, Rita in 2005, Ike in 2008, and Harvey in 2017.
Houston sits in one of the most hurricane-exposed regions of North America, with a history of devastating storms including Alicia in 1983, Rita in 2005, Ike in 2008, and Harvey in 2017. The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management, Harris County Emergency Management, and the National Hurricane Center work together to monitor storms, issue warnings, coordinate evacuations, and manage recovery. This guide explains how the warning and evacuation system works, what the different hurricane categories and storm surge zones mean, and what steps Houston residents should take before hurricane season begins each June.
Why it matters
This is part of Our Environment — environment, climate, and the land we share.
How to dig in
- 1Start with the snapshot above to know what this is in a glance.
- 2Read through to understand how it connects to the bigger picture.
- 3Get the guide using the button above.
By the numbers
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