Texas to the Florida Panhandle
Gulf Coast hurricane preparedness
From Texas to the Florida Panhandle, prepare for surge, inland flooding, wind, and outages. Start with local alerts and your evacuation zone.
Start with local evacuation and flood risk
- Find your county or parish evacuation zone and sign up for emergency alerts. Plan your route, destination, transport, medicines, and pets before officials issue an order.
- Check surge exposure around bays, waterways, and low coastal areas. Use NHC surge maps for planning and follow local evacuation instructions.
- Watch local NWS rainfall, flood, wind, and tornado warnings. A storm's wind category does not describe its rainfall or flood danger.
- Identify flood-prone roads and low-water crossings. Never drive through floodwater; flooding may continue after winds subside.
- Prepare for outages with water, food, medicines, lighting, a weather radio, and phone charging. Secure loose outdoor items before conditions deteriorate.
Gulf Coast impacts in 2026
These are historical impacts, not current alerts. Check your local NWS forecast for conditions today.
- Arthur — Texas and Louisiana: NWS Lake Charles documented flooded roads near Wildwood and Village Mills in Tyler County, Texas, and home and road flooding in Louisiana, including Beauregard, St. Landry, and Avoyelles parishes. NWS Arthur impact report (PDF)
- Bertha — Louisiana: NHC reported that Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish on July 22, with estimated maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. NHC Bertha landfall update
- Edouard — Louisiana and southeast Texas: NHC reported landfall near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, on September 1, with estimated maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. A station near Texas Point, Texas, reported a 71 mph gust. NHC Edouard landfall update
Official guidance for your household
Use NHC for tropical cyclone forecasts and preparedness guidance, your local NWS office for location-specific warnings, and county or parish emergency officials for evacuation orders and shelter openings.
Prepare an outage and evacuation kit
Cover basic water, food, medical, lighting, and communication needs first. Keep a portable kit and essential documents ready if you must leave. Compare equipment after you have a household plan.
The supply guides contain disclosed Amazon affiliate links. Follow official safety instructions during a storm.