The City of Galveston is prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Laura, which is expected to make landfall early Thursday morning near the Texas and Louisiana border.
City officials have been following weather reports and keeping in frequent communication with the National Weather Service overnight and throughout the day. At this time, we are anticipating tropical storm force winds overnight with the potential to cause wind damage. City emergency personnel will continue to monitor the situation throughout the night if there are any changes to the forecast.
Thank you to our residents who followed the mandatory evacuation order and safely left the island this week. If you remain on the island, please find a safe location to shelter in place overnight. Please note that in the event winds get too strong, public safety personnel may not be able to assist you. All emergency services will be available once it is safe for our staff to respond.
The City of Galveston also remains under a curfew of 8 p.m. tonight. This is for the protection of residents amid potentially high winds and to prevent looting of property. In case of wind damage causing debris, the city will have crews out clearing streets early Thursday. We anticipate residents will be able to return to the island Thursday morning and there will not be any barricades or checkpoints blocking access.
Thank you to all our staff who have been working hard to prepare for this storm, including clearing drains, securing infrastructure, and assisting in evacuations.
Be safe everyone and keep our neighbors in upper Texas and Lake Charles in your thoughts tonight as they are in the direct path of this storm.