With 5 million visitors a year, the wonky, science-heavy website Space City Weather is a fixture in many Houstonians’ lives, especially during hurricane season. Matt Lanza, one of the meteorologists behind the site, shares what it’s like to cover Houston’s unpredictable weather and tips for hurricane season.
Q: What excites you and annoys you the most about Houston weather?
“What annoys me the most is autumn. I love fall, and it just doesn’t happen, or it happens in such a way that it’s broken up by sweltering days. My most favorite thing about Houston’s weather is just how dynamic it is. It storms everyday in the summer, but where do those thunderstorms actually happen? Then, you have to watch for hurricanes. We can get snow here. We can get ice here. We can get a freeze here. There’s always something to watch.”
Q: What is the most memorable weather event you’ve experienced in Houston, and why?
“Obviously, it’s Hurricane Harvey. I think everyone, as a meteorologist, would say that. It gave our site a bump, and we got so many new people following us during that time. It was sort of overwhelming in that regard. More than that, you knew you were telling people important information. That changed my whole perspective on how I forecast weather. It became less about the forecast and being right about the forecast, and more about, how is this forecast going to impact people’s lives? Harvey didn’t just impact people’s days; it was their life that was impacted. That really changed how I view weather in general.”
Q: If this is someone's first hurricane season in Houston, how would you tell them to prepare?
“The first thing you want to do is know if you're in an evacuation zone, which can be found on local county websites. If you are not, then you most likely won't need to evacuate from an approaching hurricane. If you are in an [evacuation] zone, make sure you know how you will evacuate your zone. Everyone in or out of an evacuation zone should have a hurricane kit that is stocked with several days of food and supplies in case you cannot leave your location or the power is out. Keep your vehicle's gas tank as full as possible through the summer. Try not to go under a half tank. Have flood insurance, whether you are in an evacuation zone or not — in a flood plain or not. Almost everyone needs flood insurance in Houston. Period.”
For more hurricane prep advice, we have you covered on the City Cast Houston podcast! Pet owners, here’s how you can prepare your fur babies. Travis Herzog, meteorologist for ABC-13, also shared how the hurricane season will impact Houston.
