The Ground Beneath Us
Houston's Hurricane Preparedness System
By The Change Lab -- via manual_seed -- Apr 18, 2026
Overview
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.
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The practice behind Community Exchange. Founded June 2025 and fiscally sponsored by Impact Hub Houston, we build civic infrastructure for the silent majority of Houstonians who are overwhelmed but ready to engage with their community and city.
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