Hurricane Fern (1971) - Preparations

Preparations

At the time of its formation, forecasters determined that Fern might loop around in the Gulf of Mexico and it was more threatening to land than Hurricane Edith which was also projected to hit the Gulf Coast. On September 9, as Fern was becoming organized, forecasters issued a hurricane watch along the Texas coast, anticipating that Fern might strengthen into a hurricane. In addition, small boats were warned to stay in port and residents were advised to be aware of storm conditions brought by Fern. The next day, the hurricane watches were changed to warnings, forcing residents living on the Texas coast to board up and evacuate. In preparation for the storm's impact, Civil Defense workers and the American Red Cross were put on alert. In Galveston, eight emergency shelters were planned to open but five were closed when officials learned that they were not needed as most residents chose to ride out the storm in their homes. When Fern moved inland, the National Weather Service issued 21 tornado warnings and numerous flood warnings. In North Beach, city buses were used to transport evacuees inland and local officials were concerned about what to do with the relief trailers used to house survivors of Hurricane Celia a year earlier.