The earliest of early hurricane season previews began to emerge last week with notable Colorado State forecasters calling for an average hurricane season — roughly 12 named storms and five hurricanes. That’s down quite a bit from 2024 when we had 18 named storms including Beryl, which the Houston area felt directly.
But, that does not mean it is time for complacency. We are a LONG ways from any kind of reliable forecast modeling and as anyone who has lived in Houston for any length of time will tell you: It only takes one.
Because it is so early in the year (hurricane season officially begins on June 1), it’s a good time to think about preparations that could take time. These are the kinds of things you don’t want to have to worry about with a storm in the Gulf and everyone scrambling for bottled water and batteries. Consider some of these options now, particularly if you are a home owner, and save yourself the hassle later.
Make sure you have flood insurance.
We cannot stress enough how important this is in Houston, whether it is hurricane season or not. It is one of the single greatest protectors of your home in a city like ours that is essentially a bunch of buildings sitting on top of a swamp. The peace of mind that comes from knowing you are protected in case of an emergency is huge. And because most flood insurance policies don’t take effect until 30 days after you purchase them, don’t wait and be stuck without it.
Have your roof inspected.
It’s a great time to have a professional take a peek at your roof to see if there is anything that might cause problems later. After storms, roofs are the most frequently repaired part of any home. If you have good insurance, some of that will be covered. But, if you have small problems now that could turn into big problems later, better to address it before water starts pouring into your kitchen.
Check and trim your trees.
People often mistake Houston as a dry West Texas-style town instead of what it is, a rainforest. Our canopy of trees, even with recent storms and droughts, is one of the city’s best features, and any trees you may have are not just beautiful, they are a huge investment. Now that spring has sprung, it’s a great time to have a quality arborist inspect your trees for damage and disease. It’s also time to get those trees pruned so wind blows easily through their limbs. If you are afraid of trees falling on your house (who isn’t?), better to make sure they are healthy and trimmed now.
Consider a generator.
After last year’s derecho, generators, even the noisy gasoline-powered portable varieties, were scarce. As many of us sweltered in our powerless homes, we listened enviously to the hum of the neighbor’s “genny” powering their window units and charging their cell phones. Yes, you can go for one of those whole-home things, but maybe consider even a small portable one. You might not be able to power your entire house, but a refrigerator, fan and a few phone chargers can make a huge difference.
Freeze some water.
Wait…what? We heard this a few years ago and thought, but why though? If you have any room in your freezer for a couple gallon jugs of spring water, drop them in there and you get giant ice blocks ready to help keep your refrigerator cool when the power goes out. It’s a pretty simple band-aid solution assuming you have the space for it.
Make plans for vulnerable family members.
We will also include pets in this one (because they are family members too!). If you have any living thing in your charge who may require assistance in time of crisis, get your plans straight now to avoid the crush of time leading up to a storm landfall. Whether this includes medication, travel plans or special dietary considerations, plan on getting ahead of the game now while things are still quiet.
If you need anything that might be tough to get on short notice, go ahead and get it now.
Think wood for your windows, gas cans (though you can probably fill up on gas later), batteries, flashlights, and those aforementioned generators. At the moment, you can leisurely order them and stock them away for when you need it. We did that last year with a couple small rechargeable lamps and they certainly came in handy. Don’t wait until stores are empty and delivery dates are well past when you need the items.
