The 2018 Hurricane Season starts Friday, June 1. Be prepared!

There are three steps to take when preparing for hurricane season:

  • make a plan
  • build a disaster supply kit
  • stay informed

Also, now is a time to contact your insurance company or agent to make sure you have sufficient homeowner’s insurance to repair or replace your home and have insurance for your vehicles. As a reminder, flood insurance is a separate policy and has a 30-day waiting period.

You should be prepared to have a designated route and plenty of fuel, if ordered to evacuate, and also know where you plan to stay. Also, remember to evacuate with food, medications, important documents like contact information for your insurance agent or company and titles to your home and vehicles. And, don’t forget about your pets and what you will need to do to secure your property before leaving.

If leaving the area, you can monitor traffic in the Houston area on the Houston TranStar website by going to: http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/cctv/txdot/txdot_regional_cameras.html

If evacuations are called for Galveston County, there will not be any shelters open in this area before a hurricane.

During hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30., everyone should have essential supplies on hand such as a week’s supply of non-perishable food and water, extra cash, flashlights, batteries, a 30-day supply of medications, a battery powered radio, USB charger (solar) for your cell phone and if you have small children, diapers and baby food. A generator also can be very helpful.

College of the Mainland remains in contact with city, county and state emergency responders throughout the year to ensure the college is included in any weather-related developments.

COM employees are encouraged to update their contact information through WebAdvisor found under the Faculty and Staff tab on the COM website. Updated contact information will allow COM to keep you informed.

It is important to provide a personal cell phone and personal email addresses to assure that your supervisor will be able to reach you, especially when trying to account for all employees.

For those interested, the City of Texas City is hosting a Hurricane Preparedness Town Hall meeting on June 5 at 6 p.m. at the Doyle Center.