An HC-144 Ocean Sentry sits at the ready to respond to Tropical Storm Hanna at Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, July 24, 2020. (U.S Coast Guard photo)
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard is preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Hanna by forward deploying assets and broadcasting the weather to mariners along the Texas coast Friday.
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi deployed a HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew to broadcast the weather over VHF radio channels 16 and 22A to mariners and forward deployed an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew to Coast Guard Air Station Houston.
“Please be vigilant, stay off the water, be prepared and remain informed by monitoring storm progression through local radio, television and the internet,” said Lt. Jake Lawson, Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 aircraft commander.
Mariners are reminded to monitor their local weather services as well to stay updated on any potential changes, progress and strength of the storm and stay off the water. Hurricanes and tropical storms can be deadly and the Coast Guard’s ability to conduct rescues can be diminished or non-existent at the height of a storm. Coast Guard personnel and other emergency personnel may not be able to evacuate or rescue those in danger until the storm has passed. Be prepared, stay informed and heed storm warnings.
Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to inland marinas where they will be less vulnerable to breaking free of their moorings. Mooring lines should be doubled in case of high winds. Boats that can be trailered should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding. Those who are leaving their boats in the water are reminded to remove EPIRBs and to secure life rings, life jackets, and small boats. These items, if not properly secured, can break free and require valuable search and rescue resources to be diverted to ensure people are not in distress.
Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard homeport webpages:
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