Kemah, Seabrook announce evacuation plans

Kemah will follow the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management’s evacuation plan if the county judge calls an evacuation.

City officials will try to evacuate the city at least 72 hours before fast winds arrive on land, City Administrator Bill Kerber said.

The primary evacuation route is state Highway 146 North, but people can take Interstate 45 if they leave early in the evacuation, Kerber said.

If a hurricane is a Category 1, the city will call an evacuation only for low-lying areas near Galveston Bay, Kerber said.

The city will try to evacuate its residents before Galveston Island is evacuated to lessen road congestion, Kerber said.

Kemah uses the Blackboard Connection system to notify residents through phone calls and text messages of an evacuation.

Seabrook Evacuation Plan

Seabrook residents have three options of leaving town if Harris County calls an evacuation.

Residents can drive north on state Highway 146, or Red Bluff Road northwest to state Highway 225 or NASA Parkway west to Interstate 45, Jeff Galwean, deputy emergency management coordinator for the city of Seabrook, said.

It takes 10 hours to evacuate the city, Galwean said.

During Hurricane Rita, most residents took state Highway 146 north, which created a traffic nightmare.

It took drivers about 10 hours to get to Huntsville, which normally takes two hours, Galwean said.

The three routes decrease traffic congestion and allow residents to easily get to different parts of the state, Galwean said.