GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas — Galveston County issued a voluntary evacuation order for Bolivar Peninsula residents on Tuesday. That order was lifted on Wednesday just after noon.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry signed the voluntary evacuation order through Wednesday at 8 p.m. as tides and storm surge were expected to impact State Highway 87 but the order was lifted early. TX-87 is the only exit from the Bolivar Peninsula other than the Galveston/Bolivar Ferry.
"A voluntary evacuation has been ordered due to the possibility of limited ingress and egress on the peninsula as the storm passes by," the county said in a release.
"If you can stay in your house for, you know, 24 hours, 28 hours now, without having to go anywhere, you can stay," Judge Henry said.
That's exactly what some residents did. For this community, storms are not uncommon.
"We got food, we got water. I can take a shower. So, we're good," Janet Ramirez said.
Others would rather not stay.
"We have a condo in midtown, that's where we're going. I just don't want to deal with power outages. Just better to be safe," Paulette Layfield said.
Some just went to the peninsula to prep their vacation homes.
"Put the shutters down, the storm shutters," Mickey Beard said.
Residents with medical needs that require electricity, or need to travel off of Bolivar Peninsula for care should seek shelter off the peninsula until the storm has passed.
Additional law enforcement has been sent to Bolivar Peninsula to increase public safety and protect property during evacuation, the county said. EMS services will continue to be available. If there are interruptions to ferry services and water over TX-87, there may be limited access to transport to the nearest hospital if a major medical emergency occurs.
Evacuation planning tips:
- Print out a map of your evacuation route just in case the GPS on your phone goes out.
- Pack non-perishable foods, water, and blankets.
- Buy a phone charger that doesn't require electricity.
- Make sure you have jumper cables
- Have a full tank of gas when a hurricane is on the horizon
- There are several essential documents you’ll want to have with you when you evacuate -- identification, insurance information, medical information, etc.
For more hurricane preparedness tips, you can visit the Houston-Galveston Area Council's website.