Tropical Storm Francine could bring life-threatening storm surge, dangerous winds and high water on Texas roadways along the Gulf Coast, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday morning, urging Texans to heed advice from their local officials and remain vigilant because the storm could still change course.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry issued a voluntary evacuation order for the Bolivar Peninsula through Wednesday evening because flooding and high tides could hamper travel to and from the peninsula, leaving vulnerable people at risk.
The storm is currently moving northeastward across the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to become a hurricane before making landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday. A storm surge warning is in effect for High Island, Texas, to the Mississippi-Alabama border, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm comes about two months after Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Texas coast, knocking out power for millions of Texans and toppling trees and homes. Houston-area utility CenterPoint Energy came under fire after that storm for failing to communicate clearly with customers and for not restoring power quickly enough. Some customers were without power for more than 10 days.
While minor power outages could occur with Francine, Abbott said power companies – including CenterPoint – would be expected to restore electricity within hours.
“CenterPoint knows they are under a microscope,” Abbott said during a Tuesday press conference in Austin. “This is their time to perform, their time to show they are living up to the promises they have made.”
After Beryl, CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells apologized to customers and vowed to make the company’s infrastructure more resilient to future weather events. Since Beryl, the company increased its vegetation removal and put up more weather-resistant poles, Abbott said.
Abbott said Texans should be prepared for difficult driving conditions in coastal areas starting Tuesday evening. And he said the storm could spawn tornadoes across East Texas.
“Some Texans will drive through a roadway unaware of the depth of water in that region,” Abbott said. “You don’t need to get through that particular roadway if there’s high water.”
The National Guard is on standby to assist with Francine response efforts, Abbott said, as is a water rescue team.
Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said two local officials had issued voluntary evacuation orders as of Tuesday morning, though he did not specify who they were.
Henry said he decided to issue the order for part of his county because the high tide would likely cause the local ferry to suspend service and make State Highway 87 impassable. People may not be able to leave the Bolivar Peninsula for more than 28 hours, according to Henry.
“If they need to leave for a medical issue or for life-sustaining power, they might need to relocate,” Henry said.
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