TxDOT Preparing East Texas For Hurricanes

Special to The Messenger

EAST TEXAS –  The Lufkin District met with local leaders last week to discuss the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2024 hurricane predictions and to plan for emergency response should there be a major storm or evacuations in East Texas.

The 2024 hurricane season, June 1 through Nov. 30, is predicted to be above normal with hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin. NOAA has a 70-percent confidence level for 17-25 total named storms for the season. Of those, it is predicted that eight to 13 will become hurricanes and four to seven will become major hurricanes.

TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) is urging the public to make a plan to secure property and prepare emergency supplies, should there be storms or flooding.

District and community leaders discussed contra-flow lanes, evacuation routes, and clean-up response which will include shift work, if necessary. Crews will stand ready should a storms or flooding move through East Texas, as well and provide help to other districts, if necessary.

To help prepare your family, visit https://www.txdot.gov/safety/severe-weather/hurricane-preparation.htmlfor a map of evacuation routes from the Gulf Coast. Those routes include US 59, which is designated as a contraflow route, should the decision be made to route evacuation traffic in a contraflow pattern. Also designated evacuation routes through East Texas are US 69, US 287, US 259, US 96, SH 21, and SH 63.