Hurricane Preparedness
Prepare Your Family | Evacuation Routes | Contraflow Routes | Hurricane Categories
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
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In conjunction with all City departments, the Sugar Land Office of Emergency Management has taken steps to ensure the highest level of preparedness for all citizens of the city of Sugar Land and its employees:
- The city continually reviews emergency operations plans and takes steps to ensure all City employees understand their specific roles and responsibilities relative to an emergency.
- The Office of Emergency Management conducts exercises that include all City departments to test the preparedness level of the City. Exercises have included a hurricane event and hazardous material scenarios as well as testing the activation of the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
- Sugar Land is involved in the statewide All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) process, training City employees to manage emergency situations. More than 20 employees from various departments have received intensive, week-long training required for AHIMT certification.
- Steps are also taken to ensure City facilities and vehicles are working at full capacity, delivering the highest level of service to protect our citizens in case of any emergency.
Evacuation Information
The term “RUN FROM THE WATER, HIDE FROM THE WIND” describes the simple actions to protect families from the affects of a hurricane including high winds, storm surge, heavy rains and tornados. Areas close to the Gulf Coast are categorized as evacuation zones.
The Sugar Land area is not subject to the affects of storm surge and is not included in an evacuation zone. Hurricanes would not normally result in an evacuation for residents of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County. However, the threatened landfall of a Category 4 or 5 Hurricane may result in the need to evacuate Sugar Land.
Emergency Brochure (pdf): A comprehensive preparedness guide
Evacuation Routes
State Highway 6, U.S. Highway 59 and U.S. Highway 90A are designated as hurricane evacuation routes. During an evacuation, coastal residents from Galveston and Brazoria Counties will travel through Fort Bend County and Sugar Land. Local residents are urged to avoid these roadways during a period of evacuation. Many intersections will be blocked and lights will be set to allow traffic to move away from the coast. The Texas Department of Transportation will “contra-flow” many highways to handle the increase in traffic moving inland. The state plan also calls for additional fuel, water and food to be made available along evacuation routes.
Evacuation Assistance
Many individuals may not have access to vehicles or transportation to evacuate. Persons that need special assistance to evacuate should contact the Sugar Land Office of Emergency Management at (281) 275-2860 or (281) 275-2864 to participate in the Special Needs Registration process.
Shelters
Hurricane shelters are not normally opened in Sugar Land or Fort Bend County. Few buildings in the area are designed to withstand the winds associated with a category 4 or 5 Hurricane. Should an evacuation be called for Sugar Land, residents should move inland and not rely on suitable shelters in the immediate area. The location of shelters will be announced in the media, with certain zones directed to specific inland shelters and special need residents bussed to designated shelters.