Refugio County hurricane guide¶

Refugio County Emergency Management, based at the courthouse in Refugio, works with the County Judge, who issues disaster declarations and evacuation orders. The county lies on Copano Bay and San Antonio Bay in the Coastal Bend, and storms bring dangerous winds, high tides, heavy rain, and river flooding. In July 2024 the County Judge ordered a mandatory evacuation of the whole county for Beryl, so sign up for ReverseAlert and plan where you will go 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 Refugio County Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

What to know in Refugio County¶

If you evacuate or plan to evacuate, the county asks you to fill out its Evacuation Data Form. It helps the county keep track of residents and contact people who are displaced.

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	361-526-2820	Refugio County Emergency Management, 808 Commerce St, Refugio. Office line. Not for emergencies.
County information line	361-526-4434	Refugio County Judge's office. Office line. Not for emergencies.
Sheriff's Office	361-526-2352	Refugio County Sheriff's Office main line. Refugio County Dispatch: 361-526-2351. For emergencies, call 911.

Official alerts and information¶

ReverseAlert: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. Refugio County uses ReverseAlert for hurricanes, tropical storms, severe weather, road closures, and evacuations. Website.
Refugio County Emergency Management: The county emergency management page, with the alert signup and the evacuation data form. Disaster declarations and evacuation orders are posted on the county home page. Website.

Evacuation zones¶

Refugio County does not publish an evacuation zone map. The County Judge orders evacuations for each storm, and the orders are posted on the county website. For Beryl in July 2024, the County Judge ordered a mandatory evacuation of all persons in Refugio County. The order said the county's emergency services were limited and its facilities were still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. The order was lifted two days later by a second order from the County Judge. Follow the current order and ReverseAlert, not past practice.

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.

Refugio County does not post a shelter list. In a hurricane evacuation, plan to shelter outside the county. Shelter and transportation information is announced for each storm through ReverseAlert and the county website. If you have no way to leave, call Refugio County Emergency Management at 361-526-2820 before the storm to ask what help is planned.

Help to evacuate¶

Refugio County Evacuation Data Form: Tell the county that you and your family have evacuated or plan to evacuate, so it can contact you if needed. 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
KNCN	101.3 FM	English	Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1)
KZFM	95.5 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
KHB41	162.550 MHz	Rockport

TV stations¶

Station	Channel	Network	Language
KIII (KIII 3)	3	ABC	English
KRIS-TV (KRIS 6 News)	6	NBC	English
KZTV (KZTV10 News)	10	CBS	English
KSCC (Fox Corpus Christi KSCC 38)	38	Fox	English
KEDT	16	PBS	English
KORO (Noticias Corpus Christi, Univision 28)	28	Univision	Spanish
K22JA-D (Telemundo)	47	Telemundo	Spanish

Official forecasts¶

National Weather Service Corpus Christi: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 361-289-0959. Website.
National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.

Power, water and debris¶

AEP Texas: In the ERCOT competitive market you may buy power from a retail electric provider, but AEP Texas owns the lines and restores outages: report outages to AEP Texas, not to your retail provider. Phone: 866-223-8508. Website.
San Patricio Electric Cooperative: Press option 2 to report an outage. Phone: 361-364-2220. Website.
Victoria Electric Cooperative: Outage updates: (361) 582-5555. Phone: 361-573-2428. 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¶

Food Bank of the Golden Crescent: Regional food bank for 11 counties. It supplies local food pantries and meal sites. Victoria office. Call or use its website to find a food pantry near you. Phone: 361-578-0591. 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.

Legal help¶

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid: Free civil legal help for low-income residents of 68 counties in central, south, and southwest Texas, including the Coastal Bend, the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Austin. Call to apply, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Local number: 956-996-8752. Help in English and Spanish. Phone: 833-329-8752. Website.

Emotional support¶

Gulf Bend Center crisis line: The local mental health authority for Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Jackson, Lavaca, Refugio, and Victoria 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: 877-723-3422. Website.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.

Relief organizations¶

American Red Cross of Coastal Bend: The Red Cross chapter for 19 counties along the middle Texas coast, part of the Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region. Shelter, emergency help, and disaster relief. Corpus Christi office. Victoria office: 361-573-2671. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 361-887-9991. 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.