MOBILE, Ala. — Inside a warehouse near the Port of Mobile, pallets of bottled water, cots and portable generators are stacked nearly to the ceiling. Outside, emergency crews practice loading supplies onto trucks in a drill timed to the minute. The message from local officials is clear: the busiest part of hurricane season is here, and they intend to be ready.
Coastal communities from Texas to Florida’s Panhandle have expanded emergency shelters, stockpiled supplies and rehearsed evacuation plans in recent months, according to the Gulf Coast Emergency Managers Network, which coordinates preparedness efforts among about 60 counties and cities. “Every storm teaches us something,” said Dwayne Mitchell, the network’s chair and Mobile County’s emergency management director. “We’ve taken those lessons and built them into plans, drills and supplies, so when the next one comes, we’re not starting from scratch.”
What’s new this year
Officials say improvements include more backup power at shelters and hospitals, upgraded emergency alert systems and stronger partnerships with grocery stores, fuel suppliers and utilities.
- Generators prepositioned: about 1,800 across the region
- Shelter capacity: up about 25 percent from three years ago
- Evacuation drills held this year: 42
- Peak of season: mid-August through early October
Several cities have introduced text alerts that target specific neighborhoods, rather than entire counties, aiming to reduce confusion during evacuations. Some have mapped residents who may need extra help leaving, such as people who rely on medical equipment.
Concerns about costs and coverage
Preparedness also involves households, and officials say rising insurance costs and limited savings make it hard for some families to prepare. Community groups have organized supply drives and workshops to help residents assemble emergency kits and make evacuation plans.
We tell people to have a plan, three days of water and a full tank of gas. For a family living paycheck to paycheck, that’s not a small ask. So we try to help them get there.
Tanya Robinson, director of a neighborhood resilience nonprofit in Houston
Some coastal residents also say evacuation orders can be confusing, especially when storms change track. Brian Thibodeaux, a fisherman in southern Louisiana, said his family has evacuated several times for storms that ultimately weakened or turned. “You don’t want to be the guy who stayed,” he said. “But it’s expensive to leave every time. People want to trust the call.”
Officials say forecasting has improved substantially, particularly in predicting storm paths. However, rapid intensification, when a storm strengthens quickly over warm water, remains a major challenge. Dr. Elena Vasquez, an atmospheric scientist at the Gulf Coast Climate Research Center, said better ocean data has improved forecasts, but uncertainty remains.
“We’re getting better at saying where a storm will go,” she said. “Saying exactly how strong it will be at landfall is still harder.” Local governments are also investing in longer-term resilience, including drainage upgrades, elevated roads and stronger building codes. Some coastal cities are buying flood-prone properties and turning them into open space.
Hospitals along the coast have also updated their plans. Many now keep several days of fuel for backup generators and have agreements to transfer patients inland if flooding threatens. Nursing homes in several states are required to have evacuation contracts and backup power, and inspectors have increased checks before peak season. Officials say those steps were shaped by hard lessons from earlier storms.
Back at the Mobile warehouse, Mitchell walked past stacks of supplies. “The best outcome is that all of this sits here unused,” he said. “But if we need it, it’s ready, and so are we.”
