Texas weather can change quickly, and each hazard requires a different response. This reusable guide explains what to do before, during, and after tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and extreme heat, with household checklists, evacuation and shelter-planning steps, vehicle guidance, and an English-Spanish safety vocabulary list.
Overview
Severe weather preparation is less about predicting the exact outcome and more about making important decisions before conditions become dangerous. A household should know how it will receive alerts, where everyone will go, how it will communicate, and what it will take along if leaving becomes necessary.
Texas is large, so the most relevant hazard depends on location and season. Tornadoes can affect communities across the state. Coastal and nearby inland areas may face hurricanes, storm surge, high winds, and flooding. Flash flooding can occur far from the coast, while prolonged heat can affect every region. Local instructions always take priority over a general checklist.
Start with a written household plan. List each person, children, older adults, people with disabilities, pets, medications, transportation needs, and an out-of-area contact. Choose a primary shelter location and a backup. Identify more than one route away from home, but never drive through water or around barricades during flooding.
For Texas weather alerts today, rely on multiple channels: local television or radio, your county or city alert system, official weather notifications, and alerts sent directly to a mobile phone. Keep notifications enabled and make sure every adult in the household knows the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch generally means conditions could develop; a warning means hazardous weather is occurring, imminent, or requires immediate action.
Checklist by scenario
Tornado safety
Before:
- Choose a small, windowless interior room on the lowest practical level, such as a storm shelter, basement, hallway, or interior bathroom.
- Move sturdy shoes, helmets, blankets, flashlights, and a battery-powered weather radio or charged phone near the shelter area.
- Secure or bring inside loose outdoor items, including patio furniture, tools, trash containers, and decorations.
- Plan for people who may need help moving quickly, and keep pets close enough to reach without searching the house.
During:
- Go to the designated shelter immediately when a warning is issued or dangerous weather is nearby.
- Stay away from windows, skylights, exterior doors, and large open rooms. Protect your head and neck with your arms, a mattress, a blanket, or a helmet.
- Do not stop under an overpass. If you are driving and cannot reach a substantial building, pull over safely, keep your seat belt fastened, and follow official guidance; avoid parking beneath bridges or near trees and power lines.
After: Wait for official information before leaving the shelter. Watch for broken glass, exposed wires, gas leaks, unstable structures, and blocked roads. Use text messages when possible to reduce network congestion, and call 911 for immediate life-threatening emergencies.
Hurricane preparation
Before:
- Determine whether your home is in an evacuation zone or an area vulnerable to storm surge. Confirm the information with your local emergency management office, especially if you live near the coast or in a low-lying area.
- Know where you would go if ordered to evacuate, including a relative’s home, hotel, or public shelter. Do not wait until roads are crowded or conditions deteriorate.
- Charge phones and backup batteries, photograph important property, secure windows and outdoor objects, and bring vehicles to a safe location if advised locally.
- Keep important documents, medications, identification, cash, pet supplies, and several days of essential food and water ready to carry.
During: Remain indoors away from windows and follow official instructions. Do not assume a lull means the danger has ended; conditions can change quickly. Never use a generator, grill, or fuel-burning device inside a home, garage, or enclosed porch.
After: Avoid flooded roads, downed lines, and damaged buildings. Treat standing water as potentially contaminated and report hazards through the appropriate local channel. Contact your insurer before discarding damaged property when it is safe to document the damage, but do not delay urgent cleanup or medical care.
Flood response
Before: Learn whether your home, workplace, regular commute, or school route is in a flood-prone area. Save alternate routes and identify higher ground. Move valuables and essential equipment to higher locations when flooding is possible, and place important documents in a waterproof container.
During: Move to higher ground when told or when water is rising. Do not walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. Water can hide washed-out roads, debris, open drains, and electrical hazards. If your vehicle stalls in rising water, abandon it only if you can do so safely and reach higher ground; do not remain in a vehicle as water rises around it.
After: Return only when officials say it is safe. Avoid contact with floodwater, ventilate and inspect buildings carefully, and have electrical, gas, structural, and well systems evaluated as appropriate. Photograph damage from a safe location and keep receipts for emergency repairs.
Extreme heat
Before: Identify an air-conditioned place where you can spend the hottest part of the day, check on neighbors and relatives, and plan outdoor work or exercise for cooler periods. Keep drinking water available and make arrangements for pets and people who rely on powered medical equipment.
During: Take frequent breaks in a cool location, drink water, wear lightweight clothing, and never leave a child, older adult, or pet in a parked vehicle. Heat-related illness can become life-threatening. Confusion, fainting, seizures, or loss of consciousness require immediate emergency help.
After: Continue monitoring vulnerable household members and replace supplies used during the heat event. If power is interrupted, use only safe, outdoor-rated backup equipment outdoors and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Emergency kit comparison
| Kit | Best use | Include |
|---|---|---|
| At-home kit | Sheltering for several days | Water, shelf-stable food, medications, first-aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, chargers, sanitation items, blankets, documents, and pet supplies |
| Go-bag | Leaving quickly | Identification, copies of documents, phone charger, medication list, essential medicines, clothing, snacks, water, hygiene items, flashlight, and cash |
| Vehicle kit | Unexpected delays or evacuation | Seat-belt cutter, first-aid supplies, water, snacks, flashlight, phone charger, basic tools, blankets, reflective items, and paper maps |
What to double-check
- Alerts: Confirm that mobile notifications are enabled and that alerts are available in the languages your household understands. Add a trusted friend or relative to the communication plan.
- Evacuation information: Check current local evacuation zones, shelter locations, road closures, and transportation assistance before a hurricane or flood threat. A shelter may have rules about pets, medical equipment, or registration.
- Insurance and documents: Review your policies and keep copies of identification, prescriptions, medical information, lease or mortgage records, and insurance contacts in a secure location. Coverage and filing requirements vary, so do not assume every type of weather damage is treated the same way.
- Home systems: Know how to shut off utilities if instructed and only if you can do so safely. Do not attempt repairs involving live electricity, gas, structural damage, or contaminated water.
- Vehicle readiness: Keep the fuel level practical for your normal needs, check tires and lights, and store emergency supplies where they will remain accessible. Do not use a vehicle as a shelter during a tornado or flood.
English-Spanish weather-safety vocabulary
| English | Español |
|---|---|
| Severe weather warning | Alerta de clima severo |
| Tornado warning | Advertencia de tornado |
| Hurricane | Huracán |
| Flash flood | Inundación repentina |
| Evacuate | Evacuar |
| Shelter | Refugio |
| Higher ground | Terreno elevado |
| Stay indoors | Permanezca en el interior |
| Do not drive through floodwater | No conduzca por agua de inundación |
| Emergency kit | Kit de emergencia |
Common mistakes
- Waiting for a second source before responding to an official warning.
- Relying on a single phone, power source, or household member to receive alerts.
- Leaving without medications, identification, chargers, pet supplies, or a clear destination.
- Driving into water because the road appears shallow or another vehicle crossed first.
- Using a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors or near doors and windows.
- Returning home before officials have assessed roads, utilities, and buildings.
- Assuming a familiar route, shelter, or alert link will remain available without checking it before each threat.
When to revisit
Review this checklist at least twice a year and before the weather risks most relevant to your area increase. Recheck it whenever someone moves into or out of the household, a baby is born, a medical need changes, a pet is added, a vehicle changes, or a family member begins commuting to a new location.
Before a forecast threat, confirm the current alert channels, evacuation-zone information, shelter availability, road conditions, utility contacts, and local instructions. Replace expired food, batteries, medications, and first-aid supplies. Charge devices, test flashlights, update your contact list, and tell every household member where the go-bags are stored.
The most useful plan is one you can follow under stress. Write down the shelter location, meeting place, out-of-area contact, evacuation destination, and responsibilities for pets or vulnerable family members. Keep the plan in English, Spanish, or another language your household uses most comfortably. Then practice it briefly so that preparation becomes a routine rather than a last-minute decision.
