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County evacuation based on ZIP codes
By T.J. Aulds
The Daily News
Published May 27, 2009
Should you stay or should you go?
Before a hurricane comes ashore, that is the biggest question mayors, the county judge, emergency management officials and residents have.
As Hurricane Ike proved, making the wrong decision or making it too late can be deadly.
For almost a decade, Galveston County has followed a staged evacuation plan that uses ZIP codes and color codes to determine which areas of the county will be called for evacuation is as a hurricane approached.
That plan has since been expanded to include Harris County, Chambers County and Brazoria County, which are divided into four zones.
The areas closest to the water or at highest risk of storm surge destruction are within the Coastal zone.
In Galveston County, this is primarily Galveston, Jamaica Beach, Galveston’s West End, San Leon/Bacliff and Tiki Island.
Zone A includes lower Hitchcock, parts of the West County along Galveston Bay, Kemah and other low-lying areas close to the water.
The only change to the map this year is that Friendswood’s ZIP codes have been divided into the Galveston County side and Harris County side of Clear Creek, Galveston County Emergency Management Coordinator John Simsen said.
It’s important to know that calls for evacuation are made by the mayor of your city or by the county judge for the unincorporated communities in the county.
As was the case in Ike, just because there is a countywide call for a mandatory evacuation, not all of the cities in Galveston County called for evacuation.
Friendswood and Texas City, with the exception of the areas outside the protective levee system, didn’t call for mandatory evacuations.
Bruce Clawson, Texas City’s emergency management coordinator, said while the cities will make the best possible decision before calling or not calling an evacuation, residents need to make their own “personal emergency plan” and determine when they think it is safe or not to stay.
Help For Evacuees
Residents needing help to evacuate including transportation away from the storm-threatened communities need only to call to get the help they need.
The statewide 211 line is a one-stop phone number for people who need help evacuating to call and be placed on a list.
That database is shared through the United Way with all of the Galveston County communities for evacuation coordination. Emergency management officials urge residents with special evacuation needs call before hurricane season begins and not wait until a storm is approaching before asking for help.
Galveston residents, though, are asked to call a different number if they need evacuation assistance. The Mayor’s Citizens Response Team will register those who call 409-797-3710.
ONLINE
Get your copy of the hurricane evacuation map at galvnews.com
Numbers to call for evacuation assistance:
Galveston: 409-797-3710
Rest of Galveston County: 211
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