AUSTIN – Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush is encouraging all Texans to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season, which began on Monday, and runs through November 30, 2020. Additional tips, resources, and partner agency information are available at recovery.texas.gov/preparedness. “In the current COVID-19 environment, it’s more important than ever to protect your home and safeguard your livelihood against natural disasters,” said Commissioner Bush. “Every Texan can follow the five steps of preparedness. Know your risk, plan your supplies, secure documents, plan your evacuation route, and protect your property. Do your part to keep yourself, your family, pets, and property protected.” The GLO encourages all Texans to prepare for hurricane season 2020 by following these five steps:
As a part of the preparation, Commissioner Bush and his Texas General Land Office team are working with communities across the Texas coast and inland as well to make sure they are prepared to help residents should a storm arise. Texas communities are at risk of tornadoes, floods, and damaging winds. For more disaster preparedness tips, Texans can follow the GLO on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Medium, Facebook, and YouTube), watch video preparedness tips, and find resources for family and pets at recovery.texas.gov/preparedness.
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What is a Hurricane?A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone, the generic term for a low pressure system that generally forms in the tropics. A typical cyclone is accompanied by thunderstorms, and in the Northern Hemisphere, a counterclockwise circulation of winds near the earth’s surface. All Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal areas are subject to hurricanes or tropical storms. Parts of the Southwest United States and the Pacific Coast experience heavy rains and floods each year from hurricanes spawned off Mexico. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November, with the peak season from mid-August to late October. Hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage to coastlines and several hundred miles inland. Winds can exceed 155 miles per hour. Hurricanes and tropical storms can also spawn tornadoes and microbursts, create storm surges along the coast, and cause extensive damage from heavy rainfall. Hurricanes are classified into five categories based on their wind speed, central pressure, and damage potential. Category Three and higher hurricanes are considered major hurricanes, though Categories One and Two are still extremely dangerous and warrant your full attention. Hurricanes can produce widespread torrential rains. Floods are the deadly and destructive result. Slow moving storms and tropical storms moving into mountainous regions tend to produce especially heavy rain. Excessive rain can trigger landslides or mud slides, especially in mountainous regions. Flash flooding can occur due to intense rainfall. Flooding on rivers and streams may persist for several days or more after the storm. Between 1970 and 1999, more people lost their lives from freshwater inland flooding associated with land falling tropical cyclones than from any other weather hazard related to tropical cyclones.
Before a HurricaneTo prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:
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