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Galveston County hurricane guide

The Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, in Dickinson, plans for hurricanes with County Judge Mark Henry, the county's Emergency Management Director, and the county's 13 cities. Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula, and the low areas along Galveston Bay face storm surge, and evacuations are called by ZIP code zone. Know your zone, sign up for your city's or the county's alerts, and plan to be self-sufficient when you return, since fuel, food, water, and utilities may not be available.

Checked on October 3, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Galveston County Office of Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

What to know in Galveston County

  • After a storm, Galveston County officials will tell residents when it is safe to return and announce re-entry plans. Bring supplies from outside the affected area, photograph all damage, and call your insurance company right away. Report property damage through the county's damage assessment page, which links to the state's iSTAT survey in English and Spanish.
  • The county's 2026 Disaster Guide explains voluntary and mandatory evacuations. A mandatory evacuation means it is not safe to stay, and emergency services may not be available until conditions improve.

Emergency and information numbers

Service Number Notes
Emergency 911 Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger.
Emergency management office 281-309-5002 Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, Dickinson. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Office line. Not for emergencies.
Emergency management after-hours line 888-384-2000 Galveston County OEM line to report incidents after hours. For emergencies, call 911.
County information line 409-762-8621 County of Galveston, 722 Moody Avenue, Galveston. Office line. Not for emergencies.
Sheriff's Office non-emergency 409-766-2300 For police matters that are not emergencies.
Animal services 409-948-2485 Galveston County Health District Animal Services. The Animal Resource Center serves Bayou Vista, Clear Lake Shores, Hitchcock, Kemah, La Marque, Santa Fe, Texas City, Tiki Island, and unincorporated Galveston County. In other cities, call your city.

Official alerts and information

  • Galveston County emergency notifications (unincorporated areas): Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. This signup is for unincorporated Galveston County. If you live in a city, use your city's signup on the county's notifications page. Website.
  • Galveston County Office of Emergency Management: The county's official hurricane information page. Website.
  • Galveston County 2026 Disaster Guide: The county's disaster guide, with the evacuation zone map, STEAR, shelter packing list, returning home, and city and county contacts. It is a large PDF file. Website.

Evacuation zones

Galveston County's evacuation zones are sorted by ZIP code. The 2026 county map shows three zones in the county: the Coastal Zone, which covers Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula, and other low areas along the bay, Zone A, which covers most of the mainland, and Zone B, on the county's western edge. Evacuations may be called for certain zones, or in an order, so routes do not get clogged. The major evacuation routes are I-45, TX-146, TX-6, and SH-87 on Bolivar Peninsula, and the state may support them with fuel, food, and water. Find your ZIP zone on the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) map, which uses the zones Coastal, A, B, and C, and make sure your map has the current year's date. When it is safe to return, county officials will announce re-entry plans.

Look up your evacuation zone

Evacuation centers

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

Galveston County does not post a standing list of hurricane shelters. Watch county and city alerts and gcoem.org for shelter information during a storm. The county asks families to be self-sufficient and to pack medicines in their original bottles, mobility aids and medical devices, hearing aids and glasses, important documents, food and water for a week, and pet supplies with a crate. The county notes that many emergency shelters cannot accept pets, so plan ahead for your animals.

Official list of open evacuation centers

Help to evacuate

  • State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR): The county asks people with a disability, limited mobility, communication barriers, medical needs, or a need for transportation or personal care to register with STEAR every year, online or by dialing 2-1-1. Registration does not guarantee a specific service. Cities are responsible for STEAR registrants inside their limits. The county's STEAR page also has a Spanish form. Website.
  • Galveston County Animal Resource Center: The Galveston County Health District's animal shelter, for Bayou Vista, Clear Lake Shores, Hitchcock, Kemah, La Marque, Santa Fe, Texas City, Tiki Island, and unincorporated Galveston County. Phone: 409-948-2485. Website.

Radio, TV and weather

Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.

Radio stations

Station Frequency Language Notes
KTRH 740 AM English Emergency Alert System primary station (PEP, SR, LP1)
KUHF 88.7 FM English Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2)
KLAT 1010 AM Spanish Emergency Alert System primary station (LP-S)

Emergency Alert System roles come from the Texas Emergency Alert System Plan, approved in December 2017 and updated in January 2026, published by the Texas Association of Broadcasters.

NOAA Weather Radio

A weather radio turns itself on for warnings, even in the middle of the night. Set it to this frequency.

Station Frequency Transmitter
KHB40 162.550 MHz Galveston
KGG68 162.400 MHz Tomball

TV stations

Station Channel Network Language
KPRC-TV (KPRC 2) 2 NBC English
KHOU (KHOU 11) 11 CBS English
KTRK-TV (ABC13) 13 ABC English
KRIV (FOX 26 Houston) 26 Fox English
KUHT (Houston Public Media, TV 8) 8 PBS English
KXLN-DT (N+ Univision Houston) 45 Univision Spanish
KTMD (Telemundo Houston) 47 Telemundo Spanish

Official forecasts

  • National Weather Service Houston/Galveston: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 281-337-5074. Website.
  • National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.

Power, water and debris

  • CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric: In the ERCOT competitive market you may buy power from a retail electric provider, but CenterPoint owns the lines and restores outages: report outages to CenterPoint, not to your retail provider. Toll-free: 800-332-7143. Phone: 713-207-2222. Website.
  • Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP): In the ERCOT competitive market you may buy power from a retail electric provider, but TNMP owns the lines and restores outages: report outages to TNMP, not to your retail provider. Phone: 888-866-7456. Website.
  • Entergy Texas: Text OUT to 36778 after signing up for Outage Texting. Phone: 800-968-8243. Website.
  • Galveston County Road and Bridge: County roads and bridges. The county says Road and Bridge also handles disaster debris removal. The county lists a second number, 409-765-2951. Phone: 281-534-4152. Website.

After the storm: help for displaced residents

If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.

Where to start

  • 2-1-1 Texas: The free 211 helpline for all of Texas, a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, answered by 25 Area Information Centers. Help finding food, housing, child care, crisis counseling, and disaster services, day or night. Dial 211 at any hour. If 211 does not connect, call 877-541-7905. Choose your language, then option 1 for local services or option 4 to register for STEAR. Phone: 211. Website.

Housing and shelter

  • FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: After a federal declaration, these centers help you apply for aid in person. Use the locator to find the nearest one. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.

Food

  • Galveston County Food Bank: The food bank for Galveston County. It supplies local food pantries and meal sites. Texas City office, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Call or use its website to find a food pantry near you. Phone: 409-945-4232. Website.

Money, work and insurance

  • DisasterAssistance.gov: Apply for FEMA aid after a federal declaration. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
  • SBA disaster loans: Low interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses after a declared disaster. Phone: 800-659-2955. Website.
  • Lone Star Legal Aid: Free civil legal help for low-income residents of 72 counties in east and southeast Texas, including the Houston and Beaumont areas. Its Disaster Relief team helps with lost legal papers, home repair contracts, landlord problems, proof of home ownership, and FEMA appeals. Call to apply. Houston main office: 713-652-0077. You can also apply online. Phone: 800-733-8394. Website.

Emotional support

  • Gulf Coast Center crisis line: The local mental health authority for Brazoria, and Galveston counties, under contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Answered at any hour, for a mental health or substance use crisis. You can also call or text 988. Phone: 866-729-3848. Website.
  • 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.

Relief organizations

  • American Red Cross Coastal Plains Texas Chapter: The Red Cross chapter for 7 counties around Houston, part of the Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region. Shelter, emergency help, and disaster relief. Rosenberg office. Texas City office: 409-945-7200. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 281-342-9480. Website.

Cities and towns

Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.

Sources

Checked on October 3, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.