Wednesday afternoon, dozens of representatives from the city, county and local agencies crowded into an auditorium at University of Houston-Victoria to hear the latest update about the storm.
They were briefed by John Metz, who works with the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi, through a phone call.
"It's time to dust off our plans," said Metz. "We have a storm coming."
Through the loudspeaker in the auditorium, Metz told Victoria's business and government leaders that he thought the storm could be a "significant event."
The storm is expected to hit the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane, but residents should prepare for a Category 2 with winds up to 100 mph, he said.
Between 6 to 12 inches of rain is expected, while some areas could receive as much as 20 inches, he added.
"'Flash flooding possible' might be an understatement," said Metz.
During the meeting Wednesday afternoon, Rick McBrayer, who oversees emergency management for Victoria, said there wasn't much time for residents to prepare to evacuate before the storm hits.
"I do not see that we would call for an evacuation," said McBrayer.
At the city, spokesman O.C. Garza said his top priority is making sure residents are aware of the latest storm updates.
For now, residents should decide quickly if they want to evacuate or prepare for the storm by stocking up on basic necessities, he said.
Garza will be updating the city's Facebook page at least a couple times a day, he said.
If the storm continues to worsen, the city will also set up a hotline for residents to call for information, he said.
"We'll probably set up a hotline," said Garza. "We usually do for emergencies."
In the meantime, city employees are gearing up to clear trees and branches from roadways, he said.
Similarly, County Judge Ben Zeller said his office is taking steps to prepare for the storm. Once there is more information about the direction it's headed, his office will develop a formal plan.
"At this point, we're monitoring it very closely," said Zeller. "All our department and emergency management folks are in close communication."
———
©2017 Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas)
Visit Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas) at www.victoriaadvocate.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
