Leaving the shelter: re-entry and what's waiting at home

The gym gets loud and the cot hurts. That is not a reason to drive back into a street that is still a bayou.

Re-entry is a public-safety call. City of Houston OEM and Harris County OEM will say when a zip is open. Your impatience is not data.

What is waiting at home is often mud, a dead fridge, and a panel you should not touch.

Do this now

1. Ask shelter staff whether your zip is open for re-entry or still under a water rescue posture.
2. Check CenterPoint’s outage map and the City Public Works boil-water page before you count on tap water.
3. Smell for gas at the door. If you smell it, back out and call 911.
4. Photograph the house from the street before you start moving anything.

Re-entry is not a vibe

High-water, downed lines, and gas leaks keep neighborhoods closed after the sky turns blue. Harris County Flood Warning gauges can still be in flood stage on your bayou while the sun is out.

If deputies or fire are turning cars around, that is your answer. Do not sneak in on a side street to “check.”

Take your shelter wristband or paperwork with you. You may need to come back tonight.

The first ten minutes at the house

Do not flip breakers if the panel or the floor in front of it is wet. Do not light a match if you smell gas. Do not let kids wander the yard. Floodwater hides fire-ant rafts and open cleanouts.

If the slab has a water line, shoot it with a tape in the frame. Then decide if you are sleeping there. Damp drywall plus Houston humidity is a health problem by tomorrow.

If the house is not livable, go back to the live shelter list instead of toughing it out on a wet carpet.

Do this next

1. Where to find an open shelter in Houston right now
2. What to bring if you have 20 minutes to leave
3. Shelters & evacuation hub

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