The Houston area, and in particular Galveston, are no stranger to hurricanes. It is all part of living on the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 1900 Galveston hurricane both live in infamy for the area, and the effects of them can still be seen in present-day. Once again, hurricane season has arrived as of Sunday, and Galveston County is ready for whatever the Atlantic throws.

That includes a little built-in cushion in the evacuation plans for the county. Up until now, the county issues mandatory evacuation orders 36 hours before a projected landfall. They have now added an additional 24 hours, to give more time for people to get out of town.

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry says though it is a bit of a balancing act, because storms are erratic, but it is a nice thing to have.

"We have been pretty good about waiting until there is no real other option, but there is still enough time for people to safely evacuate," he says.

That additional 24 hours is also crucial too, because as any Houstonian remembers, Hurricane Rita evacuations were an absolute nightmare. Millions were stuck on the roads for a full day, with multiple heat-related deaths due to it. Luckily for Houston, Rita turned last minute to the Texas-Louisiana border. But it highlights how chaotic evacuations can be in Houston.

But this mandatory evacuation order only applies to a select few, where the biggest danger of storm surge is located.

"We will not evacuate the whole county, we will only ask for evacuations in low-lying coastal areas," says Henry. "If you are in Santa Fe or Friendswood, it is extremely unlikely you would have to evacuate, I cannot picture a scenario where that happens. So, it is only for about 10 to 15 percent of the county."

If you were curious, the last time the entirety of Galveston Island was evacuated, it was for Hurricane Laura in 2020.

As anyone knows locally as well, more important than the county's preparedness is your own preparations for hurricane season. Storms wait for no one, and it is better to be over prepared, than to be caught flat footed when grocery stores are empty.

"We will keep everyone informed, but it is up to them to make that plan and build a kit of essentials to be gone about five days...and stay informed with credible news sources," Henry says.

More information on preparedness can be found on the city of Galveston website. Hurricane season officially began Sunday, and runs through November 30th.