HOUSTON – Hurricane season begins Thursday, and officials are urging people to prepare now for a storm.
Southeast Texas has not seen a hurricane make landfall since 2008 when Hurricane Ike slammed into the region as a Category 2 storm with winds of 110 mph.
Since then, about 1 million people have moved to the Houston area.
Officials said Thursday they are worried that locals have become complacent and newcomers are not prepared.
Tips for disaster preparedness
Forecasters said they expect an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic, but made no prediction of how many storms will make landfall. However, Harris County emergency managers reminded residents that it only takes one storm to cause major problems.
“The conditions of the Gulf are prime for an early storm this year,” said Francisco Sanchez, spokesman for Harris County Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Now is the time to get ready.”
An extreme weather expo is scheduled to take place at the George R. Brown Convention Center at 10 a.m. Saturday. Representatives from many emergency agencies will be there with information and giveaways.
Track the tropics any time by visiting the Hurricane Headquarters page of Click2Houston.com or by downloading the KPRC 2 Hurricane Tracker app on Apple or Android devices.