AUSTIN — Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is encouraging all Texans to prepare for the 2023 hurricane season, which begins Thursday, June 1 and runs through Thursday, November 30, 2023. Commissioner Buckingham and her Texas General Land Office team are working with coastal and inland communities to encourage all Texans to purchase flood insurance and take measures to protect their families and homes.

“Because of the GLO’s disaster recovery programs, Texas is better prepared for natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires,” Commissioner Buckingham said. “It’s important to remember that no federally funded assistance program is designed to make you whole after a disaster. It is up to you to plan properly, protect your home with wind and flood insurance, and safeguard your documents. The GLO is proud to help communities prepare and recover from natural disasters.”

The GLO encourages all Texans to prepare for hurricane season by doing the following:

• Know Your Risk - Sign up for your community’s emergency warning system. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.
• Make Your Evacuation Plan - Check with local officials about updated evacuation shelters for this year. Know where your family will meet up if you are separated and where you will stay. Pack a “go bag” including items you need to take with you if you evacuate. A “go bag” should be easy to carry and kept in a place where you can grab it quickly. Check with drivetexas.org to find routes near you. To find a shelter near you, download the FEMA app at fema.gov/mobile-app.
• Gather Supplies - Plan for your entire household including children, people with disabilities or access/functional needs, and pets.
• Secure Documents - Remember to secure copies of important personal documents. Filing for government assistance requires documentation. Be sure to keep documents in a secure location and take them with you if you need to evacuate. Place these documents in a waterproof bag and back them up on cloud storage or a thumb drive.
• Protect Your Property - Shutter your home as needed, review your flood insurance policy (or sign up for one), and declutter drains and gutters. Most homeowner and renter insurance policies do not cover flood damage. A flood insurance policy generally does not take effect until 30 days after purchase, so be sure to maintain your policy. Take a video “tour” of your home to document all items and the home’s current condition.

The Texas General Land Office continues to promote preparedness through “Don’t Ignore Your Risk,” a public outreach initiative to encourage Texans to be prepared and stay prepared for hurricane season. The multi-media, multi-platform public service announcement urges Texans to take time now to know their risk, purchase flood insurance, protect their home, safeguard documents, and prepare emergency supplies and an evacuation route.

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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