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Polk County hurricane guide

The Polk County Office of Emergency Management in Livingston, led by the County Judge as director, plans for disasters and runs the AlertMePolkCounty alert system. The county lists floods, thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires among its main hazards, and has declared disasters for Hurricanes Rita, Ike, Harvey, Laura, and Beryl and for Trinity River flooding. In a hurricane, the office opens shelters and coordinates help, so sign up for alerts before a storm.

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 Polk County Office of Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

What to know in Polk County

  • After a disaster, the county can only pick up storm debris from the roadside when homeowners or unpaid volunteers did the work. If you hire a contractor to remove a tree or gut a flooded home, make sure the contractor hauls the debris away. The county also links the state's iSTAT damage survey.
  • To find out whether your property is in the floodplain, call the Polk County Permit Office at 936-327-6820, option 1, and ask for the Floodplain Administrator. Inside Livingston city limits, call Livingston City Hall.

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 936-327-6826 Polk County Office of Emergency Management, 602 E Church St, Room 165, Livingston. Office line. Not for emergencies. Staff can also sign you up for alerts by phone.
Sheriff's Office non-emergency 936-327-6810 For police matters that are not emergencies. Also the number for Polk County Animal Control.

Official alerts and information

  • AlertMePolkCounty: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. Alerts cover hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, tornadoes, and evacuations, and outreach messages share shelter and food, water, and ice distribution information. If you have no internet, call 936-327-6826 or visit the office to register. Website.
  • Polk County Office of Emergency Management: The county emergency management page, with news and recovery information. The office also posts on its Facebook page. Website.

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.

Polk County does not post a standing shelter list. In a hurricane, the Office of Emergency Management opens shelters as needed and shares shelter information through AlertMePolkCounty, the county website, and local news. Do not go to a site until it is announced as open. If you live in a mobile home or near the Trinity River or another area that floods, plan where you will go before a storm.

Help to evacuate

  • State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR): Polk County offers STEAR flyers in English and Spanish on its Services page. STEAR is a free state registry for people with disabilities, medical or functional needs, or who need a ride to evacuate. Registering does not guarantee a specific service. 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
KOOI 106.5 FM English Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1)
KYKS 105.1 FM English Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2)

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
WXK23 162.550 MHz Lufkin
KXI55 162.500 MHz Onalaska

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

  • Entergy Texas: Text OUT to 36778 after signing up for Outage Texting. Phone: 800-968-8243. Website.
  • Sam Houston Electric Cooperative: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 888-444-1207. Website.
  • City of Livingston Public Works: After 5 p.m.: 936-327-3117. Phone: 936-327-4311. 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

  • Southeast Texas Food Bank: Regional food bank for 8 counties. It supplies local food pantries and meal sites. Beaumont office. Call or use its website to find a food pantry near you. Phone: 409-839-8777. 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

  • Burke Center crisis line: The local mental health authority for Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, and Tyler 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: 800-392-8343. Website.
  • 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.

Relief organizations

  • American Red Cross Southeast and Deep East Texas Chapter: The Red Cross chapter for 17 counties in southeast and deep east Texas, part of the Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region. Shelter, emergency help, and disaster relief. Orange office. Nacogdoches office: 936-305-5060. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 409-883-2322. 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.