Hurricane season is approaching and experts are encouraging people to prepare in case a storm heads toward Southeast Texas.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — This week is National Hurricane Preparedness Week across the country, a reminder that hurricane season is fast approaching. Hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts until the end of November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service and ABC13 want to encourage you to start preparing for hurricane season now so you can be prepared if a storm heads toward Houston.

Some examples of what to do now are restocking hurricane kits and reviewing the latest evacuation procedures if you live in an evacuation zone.

And we’re no strangers to tropical storms here in Southeast Texas. The last system to make landfall in the area was Hurricane Nicholas in September 2022. It made landfall near Sargent Beach in Matagorda County as a Category 1 hurricane, with a speed of 94 mph measured in Matagorda Bay. Because of this, more than half a million people were left without power across the state. Nicholas also dropped up to 15 inches of rain, mostly near the coast.

On Tuesday, ABC13 visited Dickinson’s First United Methodist Church. Feet of floodwater filled the church’s sanctuary during Hurricane Harvey, and almost everything had to be replaced. Greg Goodman is a member of the congregation and was there to help clean up the church after Harvey. The lessons learned from storm recovery are something he carries with him today and is reminded of at this time of year.

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