Saturday’s tornado in nearby Franklin destroyed much of the town with winds of 136-165 mph. Fortunately, only about a dozen minor injuries were reported, but the dangerous EF-3 twister served as a wake-up call for the Bryan-College Station community. As if we needed another warning. Continue reading Franklin tornado yet another reminder to be prepared
Our prayers remain with those affected by Harvey, as well as those in the path of Irma. While College Station was spared harsh effects from the recent storms, we still say thanks to our employees who worked around the clock here and in other jurisdictions. Continue reading Video: College Station responds to Hurricane Harvey
While the impacts of Hurricane Harvey across the state and along the coast may vary, locally we are expecting heavy rains and flooding conditions beginning late Friday with the potential to continue through the weekend and into early next week. We urge residents to prepare by taking these actions. Continue reading Prepare for possible impacts of Hurricane Harvey
Last May, a tornado battered several neighborhoods along a two-mile path in Bryan, damaging more than 150 homes. No major injuries were reported, but the dangerous storm served as a wake-up call for the Bryan-College Station community. Just because tornadoes have been rare in our area doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be vigilant and well-prepared. Continue reading Last May’s tornado showed we should be vigilant
By Brian Hilton, College Station Emergency Management Coordinator
All sectors of society – businesses, civic groups, industry associations, neighborhood associations and individual citizens – should plan ahead for natural and man-made disasters. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.
In the first few hours or days following a disaster, essential services may not be available and people must be ready to act on their own. With September being National Preparedness Month, it’s the perfect time to review the emergency plans for your family or business.
With the theme “Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare,” National Preparedness Month establishes four universal building blocks of preparedness. Click each of these for useful tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):
Preparation makes a difference
Continue reading “National Preparedness Month: Preparing for disaster is everyone’s job”
The Bryan-College Station area has had its share of funnel clouds and tornado scares over the years, but we’ve managed to escape any loss of life or catastrophic damage. In fact, straight line winds and microbursts have caused more property damage here than twisters.
Although strong tornadoes are uncommon in our area, that doesn’t mean a deadly tornado couldn’t happen. And even small tornadoes have the potential to be violent.
Since 2000, Brazos County has experienced nine small tornadoes, with three rated F1 (wind speeds of 73-122 mph) on the Fujita scale and the rest F0 (under 73 mph). In December 2006, a F1 tornado moved south to north for five miles across central College Station and did considerable damage to an apartment complex on FM2818 and several businesses along Southwest Parkway and Texas Avenue. Three people suffered injuries.
Continue reading “Tornado preparation is important – even in BCS”
