Hurricane Season 2024: Houston Area Evacuation Maps

HOUSTON — Hurricane season is underway. And if you’ve lived in Houston for more than a year, you not only dread it, but you have a question when it comes to hurricanes.

When a hurricane looms on the horizon, everyone looks to the media and city leaders to see if there will be mandatory evacuations.

It is important that you know where your home is located in the Houston area evacuation plan.

A color-coded man is set up to help you know when to go and if you are in the first group that should go out.

DOWNLOAD THE EVACUATION MAP ON ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH

DOWNLOAD ESCAPE ROUTES IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH

In the event authorities order an evacuation of the Houston area, TxDOT has a number of tools to expedite the process.

One solution is to use counter-current.

This is when all inbound lanes of a highway are revered to flow outward.

“The counterflow system is used to help move citizens safely and efficiently out of harm’s way during a large-scale evacuation,” Black said.

State and local leaders and emergency operations personnel are making the call. They can reverse traffic on I-10, I-45, Highway 290 and the Eastex Freeway, essentially pushing people toward San Antonio, Auston, Dallas and East Texas.

The one and only time TxDOT instituted a backwash system was in 2005 during Hurricane Rita.

• Print out a map of your escape route in case your phone’s GPS turns off.
• Carry non-perishable food, water and blankets.
• Buy a phone charger that doesn’t require electricity.
• Make sure you have jumper cables
• Have a full tank of gas when a hurricane is on the horizon
• There are several essential documents you will want to have with you when you evacuate: identification, insurance information, medical information, etc.

For more tips on hurricane preparedness, you can visit the Houston-Galveston Area Council website.