HOUSTON \u2013 Potential Tropical Storm 5 is moving toward the upper Texas coast, and Houston-area residents should use tonight to get ready before heavy rain and gusty winds arrive.<\/p>\n
The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for portions of the upper Texas and southwestern Louisiana coasts. The system is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm before moving toward the coast Tuesday.<\/p>\n
For the Houston metro, heavy rain and localized flooding are among the biggest concerns. Some areas could see several inches of rain, while stronger wind gusts are also possible, particularly closer to the coast and east of Houston.<\/p>\n
Here are five things you should do tonight to get ready:<\/p>\n
1. Charge everything<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t wait until the power goes out to start charging your devices.<\/p>\n
Plug in:<\/p>\n
Cell phones<\/p>\n
Laptops<\/p>\n
Tablets<\/p>\n
Portable battery packs<\/p>\n
Rechargeable flashlights<\/p>\n
Other essential electronics<\/p>\n
If you have a portable power station or generator, make sure it is ready to go.<\/p>\n
And remember to never operate a generator inside your home, garage or another enclosed space.<\/p>\n
2. Bring in anything that could blow away<\/p>\n
Take a walk around your property tonight and secure anything loose.<\/p>\n
That includes:<\/p>\n
Patio furniture<\/p>\n
Trash cans<\/p>\n
Grills<\/p>\n
Potted plants<\/p>\n
Outdoor decorations<\/p>\n
Children\u2019s toys<\/p>\n
Umbrellas<\/p>\n
Pool equipment<\/p>\n
Strong winds can turn even lightweight objects into dangerous projectiles.<\/p>\n
If you have a garage, move vehicles inside if possible.<\/p>\n
3. Clear your drains and check for flooding risks<\/p>\n
Heavy tropical rain can quickly overwhelm drainage systems. Before the rain arrives, clear leaves and debris from:<\/p>\n
Gutters<\/p>\n
Storm drains<\/p>\n
Yard drains<\/p>\n
Areas around your home where water tends to collect<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve had flooding problems before, move important belongings, electronics and other valuables to higher ground tonight.<\/p>\n
Also, never drive through flooded roads. Water can be deeper and moving faster than it appears.<\/p>\n
4. Get your emergency supplies together<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t need to panic-buy everything at the store. Just make sure you have the basics.<\/p>\n
Check your home for:<\/p>\n
Bottled water<\/p>\n
Nonperishable food<\/p>\n
Flashlights<\/p>\n
Extra batteries<\/p>\n
First-aid supplies<\/p>\n
Prescription medications<\/p>\n
Baby supplies<\/p>\n
Pet food<\/p>\n
Toiletries<\/p>\n
Cash<\/p>\n
Important documents<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also a good idea to fill your vehicle with gas before conditions deteriorate.<\/p>\n
5. Know where you\u2019ll get your weather information<\/p>\n
Tonight is the time to make sure you can receive emergency alerts. Turn on weather alerts on your phone and keep up with updates from local officials and trusted weather sources.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t make decisions based solely on a social media post or a single forecast model. Tropical systems can change quickly, and even a small change in the storm\u2019s track can affect where the heaviest rain falls.<\/p>\n
KPRC 2\u2019s weather team will continue updating the system as it moves toward the Texas coast.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t have to wait until a tropical storm is at your doorstep to prepare. Charge your devices, secure your property, clear your drains, gather your supplies and make a plan tonight. Even if the storm\u2019s impacts end up being less than expected, you\u2019ll be better prepared if conditions change.<\/p>\n
KPRC 2 will continue tracking Potential Tropical Storm 5 and its potential impacts across Houston and Southeast Texas.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Potential Tropical Storm 5 is moving toward the upper Texas coast, and Houston-area residents should use…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422058,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57,66,223,146847,172,146846],"class_list":["post-422057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news","tag-local","tag-news","tag-potential-tropical-storm-5","tag-weather","tag-weather-preps"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}