Coast Guard prepares for storm, coastal flooding along Texas coast

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Office: 281-464-4810 After Hours: 832-293-1293 PA Detachment Texas online newsroom

Coast Guard prepares for storm, coastal flooding along Texas coast

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard is advising mariners and the public to use caution and be prepared for dangerous winds and coastal flash flooding as Tropical Storm Beta approaches the Texas coast Sunday.

The storm is expected to create very dangerous conditions along much of the Texas coast as it brings high tides, high seas, heavy rains, and potential sustained winds near 60 mph.

Beachgoers are asked to stay out of the water as the storm conditions begin to impact shores Sunday, creating a greatly enhanced risk of rip currents with rough surf conditions.

The Coast Guard urges the public to follow these precautions for the duration of Tropical Storm Beta:

• Swimmers, surfers, and windsurfers are strongly urged to stay out of the water during this period of heavy weather.
  
• Boaters are advised to avoid getting underway due to extremely hazardous sea conditions.
  
• All boaters and those living along coastal communities should secure their small craft, including canoes, kayaks, and paddle craft, due to expected high winds, heavy seas, and storm surge.
  
• Double-check lines when securing your boat. Take precautions for items stored loosely aboard your vessel.
  
• Contact your local marina for advice on how best to secure your vessel.
  
• People in distress should use 911 to request assistance. Social media should not be used to report life-threatening distress due to limited resources to monitor the dozens of social media platforms during a large-scale rescue event.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Houston-Galveston directed the immediate attainment of Port Condition Zulu Sunday, which carries a number of readiness requirements for entities throughout the port and is set when weather advisories indicate that sustained gale force winds from a tropical or hurricane force storm are predicted to make landfall at the port within 12 hours.

Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard homeport webpages:

• Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston: https://homeport.uscg.mil/port-directory/houston-galveston
  
• Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi: https://homeport.uscg.mil/port-directory/corpus-christi

For additional information on the storm, visit https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#Beta and https://www.weather.gov/

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-USCG-