Hurricane Awareness Week

Granted, we don't live close enough to the coast to be directly effected by Hurricanes, but they can cause inland flooding and other related problems, so it doesn't hurt to be informed during National Hurricane Awareness Week this week!Fourteen hurricanes and six tropical storms since 1961, which resulted in major disaster declarations, serve as reminders to Texans that now is the time to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.The 14 hurricanes were an unnamed storm (1957), Carla (1961), Cindy (1963), Beulah (1967), Celia (1970), Allen (1980), Alicia (1983), Gilbert (1988), Bret (1999), Claudette (2003), Rita (2005), Dolly (2008), Ike (2008) and Alex (2010).

The six tropical storms were Danielle (1980), Allison (1989), Charley (1998), Frances (1998), Fay (2002) and Erin (2007).

Two significant hurricanes that only resulted in an emergency declaration for Texas were hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Dean (2007).

Five of the hurricanes and two of the tropical storms occurred in the last decade

There have been no hurricanes or tropical storms resulting in a FEMA major disaster declaration in the past two years – 2011 and 2012.

Two storms did affect the state in other ways. Tropical Storm Hermine in 2010 caused major inland flooding in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 stirred up winds that exacerbated a weekend wildfire in Bastrop County.

For more information on the upcoming hurricane season, please visit www.ready.gov/hurricanes and www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare.