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The City of Port Arthur and Emergency Management Team are working to ensure residents have essential information needed for the 2024 hurricane season.

To better do so, leaders are planning a Hurricane Preparedness Workshop for Port Arthur and Southeast Texas.

The workshop is set for 5 to 7 p.m. June 18 at the Bob Bowers Civic Center.

Mayor Thurman Bartie noted the 2024 hurricane season is predicted to be dangerous, and the city has already experienced a recent tornado that caused destruction.

“The primary objective of this workshop is to educate our community on effective hurricane preparedness strategies,” Bartie said.

The preparedness strategies include having a disaster plan for families, preparation for evacuations if needed, essential personal products (medications, first aid kits, food, water, animal goods, cash currency), documentation of insurance coverage and the necessity of having photos to conduct and assess losses before and after the event, and a plan for re-entry to the city after an evacuation is activated.

Bartie hopes to reach residents and business owners with the workshop.

Emergency Management Coordinator Deputy Police Chief Jermey Houston said the event would be an open workshop format, where strategies are discussed and questions answered.

Emergency Management Coordinator and Interim Fire Chief Robert Havens said the team begins planning for the next hurricane season as soon as the current season ends.

The team meets with industrial partners, sheltering locations, Texas Department of Emergency Management and National Weather Service.

The team also meets with the local hospital, assisted living centers and urgent care providers as part of the city’s preparedness.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, citing La Nina and warmer than average ocean temperatures as major drivers of tropical activity.

NOAA’s forecast predicts a range of 17 to 25 named storms. Of those, eight to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds 74 mph or higher) including four to seven major hurricanes (category 3, 4, or 5).