Citizens with functional needs, with medical needs and those low lying areas encouraged to evacuate. Homeowners who have experienced street flooding from heavy rain in the past should expect street flooding during Hurricane Harvey.
LA MARQUE, TEXAS (August 25, 2017) – La Marque Mayor Bobby Hocking signed a declaration of local disaster Thursday, August 25, 2017, and enacted a voluntary evacuation for citizens with functional needs, citizens with medical needs and citizens in low lying areas. There is no mandatory evacuation at time.
Low lying areas are primarily around Highland Bayou and homes outside of the hurricane protection levee. Camp Circle, Melody, Mary, Bluebonnet, Honeysuckle, Azalea and surrounding areas are also prone to flooding. La Marque Police and Fire went door-to-door in these areas yesterday, August 24, 2017.
Homeowners who have experienced street flooding from heavy rain in the past should expect street flooding during Hurricane Harvey. Up to 35 inches of rain is predicted, along with swollen bayous and rivers due to the storm surge. Expect ditches to hold water and water in yards. Water in homes is possible. La Marque Public Services crews have been mowing ditches and clearing culverts all week and will continue to monitor as Harvey comes ashore.
Be prepared to go several days without power.
If you choose to evacuate, do not drive on flooded roads. A car can float away in as little as six inches of water. If you come across a flooded road, find another route or turn around.
Once the rain stops, streets and ditches are predicted to hold water. Be courteous to your neighbors and do not drive on flooded neighborhood roads. Wakes caused by vehicles driving on flooded streets can cause water to enter homes and may cause severe damage.
The American Red Cross has established a shelter for displaced citizens of Galveston County at Abundant Life Christian Center at 601 Delany in La Marque. City of La Marque cannot provide transportation to the shelter. Citizens needing dialysis should call ESRD Network at 469-916-3800.
Hurricane Harvey is a Category 2 hurricane and is continuing to strengthen. It is still forecast to be a strong Category 3 hurricane at landfall, which is expected Friday night along the middle Texas coast. Life threatening Storm Surge from two to four feet is expected from Jamaica Beach to High Island and around Galveston Bay. Steering flow weakens considerably after landfall, resulting in slow drift this weekend and early next week. Expect heavy rainfall for a prolonged period with catastrophic flooding possible, especially south of the I-10 corridor. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Matagorda to High Island and a Storm Surge Watch is in effect around Galveston Bay. A Flash Flood Watch in effect through Tuesday. Tropical storm wind gusts in rainbands along the coast are ongoing and Tropical-Storm-Force winds are expected hit our area Saturday morning. Widespread flooding and road closures are expected. Structure flooding is possible. Current forecast calls for 15 to 25 inches with local amounts near 35 inches possible. Extreme rainfall is expected to from now through Tuesday. Stay out of the water. Rip currents, storm surge, flash flooding and debris in the water make all bodies of water, including drainage ditches, very dangerous.
For all those who are staying, Mayor Hocking encourages the citizens of La Marque to prepare, hunker down and remain calm as we ride out Hurricane Harvey together. For emergencies, call 911. To report non-emergencies, such as street flooding, call police dispatch at 409-938-9269, option 1.
La Marque Emergency Management is monitoring the storm and will continue to provide updates. City officials will send another ConnectCTY phone notification this evening. If you haven’t already, please register for notifications from the City of La Marque at http://www.ci.la-marque.tx.us/145/Stay-in-the-Know. For immediate updates, monitor local news outlets and National Weather Service Houston-Galveston.
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About the City of La Marque: The City of La Marque is strategically situated in Galveston County approximately 15 miles from the southern city limit of Houston and four miles north of Galveston Island. La Marque is the second-fastest-growing city in the county with an estimated population of 16,000 and an area of 14.25 square miles. Citizens enjoy coastal living, abundant housing options and the security of a hurricane protection levee system. The city provides a wide range of programs including Bayou Fest, an annual concert series and BBQ Cook Off; Magical Winter Lights, a 52-day holiday lantern festival and Crawfish Bash, an annual crawfish cook off that earned Guinness Book of World Records ranking in 2017. City of La Marque boasts easy access to world-class medical, travel and entertainment options. For business, La Marque offers developmental incentives, an abundance of commercial property and build-to-suit opportunities. La Marque is the Gateway to the Gulf. Discover the possibilities at www.cityoflamarque.org.