Fort Bend County leaders launch emergency information billboard ahead of hurricane season

Fort Bend County leaders are urging residents to prepare for what could be an active hurricane season. The county partnered with Clear Channel Outdoor to post a digital billboard in Stafford with a countdown to the Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June through November. It's one of 54 such billboards across the Houston region.

If a hurricane strikes, the billboard will display emergency information, such as cooling centers open to the public. "What we're hearing is that this season promises to be an active one and we want to remind everyone to continue to be prepared for a storm when it hits," Lee Vela, Clear Channel Outdoor’s vice president for public affairs, said at a Wednesday news conference. Fort Bend County Judge KP George said the county has partnered with Clear Channel Outdoor for six years.



"It is important we inform our citizens how to prepare, how to be ready for any weather event," he said. Fort Bend Emergency Management Coordinator Greg Babst said residents should prepare a kit for if they need to evacuate – and also stock up on emergency supplies if they stay and are without power for several days. During Hurricane Beryl last July, more than 2.

2 million CenterPoint Energy customers in the Houston region lost electricity, with prolonged outages contributing to many of the 40-plus local deaths associated with the storm . "You never know if you're going to be without power, without water, without those critical life lines that you might have," Babst said..