Texas EMS Magazine, Volume 17, Number 3, May/June 1996 Page: 40
66 p. : col. ill.View a full description of this periodical.
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By Sam Wilson
Sand, sun and surf: living on
the Texas Gulf Coast has a
special appeal. The lure of life on
the beach has caused the popula-
tion along the Texas coast to swell
in recent years. Many residents
are new to beach life and have
never had to think about prepar-
ing for a hurricane. Texas has been
extremely fortunate over the past
few years in that we have not had
any major hurricanes. The last
major (category 3 or higher) hurri-
cane that hit the Texas coast was
almost 30 years ago, when Beulah
came ashore in 1967. That makes
us overdue for a major storm. And
all of the forecasters, prognostica-
tors, seers and wizards are pre-
dicting an increase in both the
number and intensity of storms
over the next decade. The bottom
line? Make your plans for when a
storm will hit, not if it hits.
The long season The hurri-
cane season begins June 1st and
runs through the end of Novem-
ber. Texas' 621-mile-long coast-
line borders 21 counties and
encompasses about a quarter to a
third of the state's population, de-
pending on the time of the year.
Any of those 621 miles are subject
to hurricane force winds (greater
than 75 mph), torrential rains,
lightning, and flooding. That's like
taking a straight line from
Paramedic Sam Wilson helps
emergency services agencies plan
for disasters as part of the Bureau's
Emergency Preparedness team.p-
Is Texas
Brownsville to Wichita Falls and
making that entire distance under
the threat of a major catastrophe
five months of each year.
Hurricane-strength winds can
generate incredible pressure forces
on structures and cause tremen-
dous damage. Of greater concern,
though, is flooding. Storm surge
flooding may inundate areas adja-
cent to the coast with up to 20 feet
of water, enough to cover an aver-
age single-story house up to the
roof peak. The 1900 storm that
devastated Galveston, killing
more than 6,000 people, had maxi-
mum sustained winds of 115 mph
- a low category 3 storm. Most of
the fatalities in Galveston were the
result of storm surge flooding.Are you prepared for
a major hurricane?
Even those living far
into the state will
The relatively shallow depth of
the Gulf of Mexico, especially near
the coast, results in an immense
storm surge wherever the storm
hits. So keep this in mind: the long
hurricane season brings the poten-
tial for many kinds of problems
from one storm.Texas EMS Magazine May/June 1996
40
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Texas. Department of State Health Services. Texas EMS Magazine, Volume 17, Number 3, May/June 1996, periodical, May 1996; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1507922/m1/40/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.