Houston officials activate emergency center, urge caution as tropical storm tracks offshore

Houston Mayor opened a city press briefing on the approaching tropical system on Thursday, saying the city’s emergency center “was activated yesterday at 5” and urging residents and visitors to avoid driving in standing water.

Why it matters: City officials said the National Weather Service has the system tracking off the Texas coast and that Houston is likely to be on the drier side if the current forecast holds; they reminded the public that forecasts can change and that the city is monitoring models and coordinating with event partners for large World Cup crowds.

Brian of the Houston Office of Emergency Management said the National Weather Service upgraded the system early Thursday to a potential tropical cyclone and that current models place the center about 20 to 40 miles offshore of Galveston, which would mean lesser wind and rainfall impacts for Houston than earlier estimates. “So once again, that is the current track,” Brian said, adding that officials are receiving updated model guidance every four to six hours and will issue new messaging if the track shifts.

Mayor emphasized cross-department mobilization, saying public works, fire, police and health personnel were “all hands on deck” and that the city had taken preparatory steps including lowering Lower Lake Houston by about 1 foot and pre-staging barricades at known flood-prone underpasses. “We have the emergency center open. All hands on deck,” the mayor said.

Tom, speaking for fire-rescue, said crews responded to two incidents involving vehicles and high water and reiterated a basic safety threshold: “12 inches of water can lift your typical car, and 2 feet can lift a truck,” and urged people to avoid flooded roadways.

Chief Diaz thanked media partners for amplifying safety messages and warned that stalled or stranded vehicles increase demand on first responders and slow overall response times, urging residents to stay home if they can and to “turn around, don’t drown.”

Randy from public works provided a technical overview of the city’s drainage approach: enclosed underground systems that feed open ditches and bayous, roughly 2,500 miles of those ditches, and streets that act as secondary drainage when primary systems fill. He said the city converts some dump trucks into high-water rescue vehicles and has pre-staged equipment at known problem spots, especially underpasses that can become deceptively deep.

Chair Brock of Metro said safety is the agency’s top priority and that drivers are trained to avoid high water. Metro will make “real time adjustments” to routes and schedules as conditions warrant and is advising riders to follow transit apps and ridemetro.org for updates. Brock also said the NRG Center will be used to shelter waiting patrons when needed so people can wait indoors before boarding rail.

Officials repeatedly cautioned visitors unfamiliar with Houston weather — including international visitors for World Cup matches and FanFest — to heed hydration and heat-safety advice as well as flood warnings. The mayor pointed to city cooling centers and converted warehouses available for the public.

What’s next: Officials said they will continue to monitor National Weather Service guidance, update the public if the projected track shifts west toward Beaumont and other communities, and keep the emergency center active while deployments are in effect.

Sources: City of Houston briefing; Houston Office of Emergency Management; Houston Fire-Rescue; Houston Public Works; Metro.