Governor Greg Abbott has instructed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to raise the readiness level of the Texas State Emergency Operations Center (SOC) to Level III, signaling increased preparedness for severe storms expected across Texas this week.
“In preparation for forecasted severe storms, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the State Operations Center,” Governor Abbott said. “Texas stands ready to respond and swiftly deploy all necessary resources to support local officials with response operations and ensure the safety of Texans. Texans are urged to remain weather-aware and heed the guidance of state and local officials and emergency response personnel to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
The National Weather Service forecasts that a storm system beginning today will bring heavy rainfall with potential flash flooding in several regions, including West, North, Central, Southwest, and East Texas. The storms may also produce damaging winds, large hail, and possible tornadoes. Additional storms are predicted for early next week. Residents are advised to monitor local weather updates.
At Governor Abbott’s direction, TDEM has asked representatives from key agencies—such as the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas A&M Forest Service, Department of State Health Services’ Emergency Medical Task Force, A&M Engineering Extension Service, Parks and Wildlife Department, Department of Public Safety, and National Guard—to report to the SOC for 24-hour operations.
Additional state emergency response resources have been activated ahead of increasing flood risks. These include swiftwater rescue boat squads from Texas A&M Task Force 1; high-profile vehicles and Blackhawk helicopters from the National Guard; incident management teams; strike teams from the Forest Service; medics and ambulances from State Health Services; game wardens with rescue boats from Parks and Wildlife; helicopters with hoist capability from Public Safety; road monitoring by Transportation staff; disaster assessment agents from AgriLife Extension Service; power outage coordination by the Public Utility Commission; natural gas supply monitoring by Railroad Commission; and environmental quality checks by TCEQ.
Yesterday, Governor Abbott had already directed TDEM to activate state emergency response resources in anticipation of these severe weather impacts.
Residents are encouraged to prepare for severe weather by creating an emergency plan, assembling a disaster supply kit, and following warnings issued by local officials. For information on road conditions residents can visit DriveTexas.org. Severe weather tips are available at TexasReady.gov while flood safety guidance is provided at TexasFlood.org. All-hazards preparedness resources can be found at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.
