Within the Houston city limits, only a small portion of far southeast Houston could be expected to be affected by a storm surge from an intense hurricane. Therefore, most of Houston would not need to evacuate. Most of the damage in Houston will result from high winds, tornadoes and rainfall flooding. It would be reasonable for residents of Houston to expect winds, from a nominal hurricane, in excess of 75 mph, and the damage that would result from these type of winds. Along with high winds, it would not be unreasonable for residents of Houston to be affected by tornadoes associated with hurricanes.
Tornadoes always pose a threat in a hurricane area.
Loss of life can be minimized by the high winds or a tornado by locating a safe place, within your home such as an inside closet and bathrooms. Another danger from hurricanes for Houston, is flooding. Hurricanes can sometimes produce enormous amounts of rainfall which can cause widespread damage to homes and businesses. During a hurricane when the storm surge is pushed up into the natural drainage system such as bayous, the runoff from rainfall is a slower process allowing bayous and ditches to back up and cause flooding. You can expect to experience flooding.