From 2006-17, Casey Curry became one of the popular faces in Houston news television as a meteorologist at KTRK (ABC-13). From Hurricane Ike, the December snow of 2009 to Hurricane Harvey, she gained a huge following for her insight and enthusiasm behind her work.
In between occasional television appearances, Curry, who still resides in Houston devotes much of her time as the Director of Corporate Leadership for Alliantgroup, which also allows more time to spend with her husband and daughter along with the family’s cat and dog. She still keeps her eye on the weather, which is why The Post Newspaper editor Brandon C. Williams was honored to get her insights about the upcoming hurricane season.
Casey Curry: One of the things I was thinking about as I was mentally preparing is that there are so many people every year that move to Houston and the Gulf Coast area, and I feel like this is the type of information that is so important for those folks. Those of us who have been here for a long time already know these things, but I think the real value comes for those who have not done this before.
You think about having never gone through a tropical storm or a hurricane, and it’s such a different kind of preparation, especially here on the Gulf Coast, where storms can literally blow up in 24 hours. You might not have anything there one day, and the next, you’re looking at a tropical depression or a hurricane within that next day or so. It isn’t like you always get seven days to watch the storm. You really have to be planned from Day 1.
Even though I’m not technically working on TV anymore, that means everyone in my circle is going to know what I think about whatever storm it is.
Brandon C. Williams: What should the Gulf Coast expect this season? What are the predictions for the area?
CC: What most are looking at this year is kind of a slightly above-average season. What that translates to is about 13 named storms, 6-10 hurricanes and 3-5 major hurricanes. What I always caution people about is that all it takes is that one storm that was momentous in the worst way.
Last year, we had 30 storms. We had to retire names and go all the way into the Greek alphabet, but no one is thinking it will shape up like last season. We’ve already had our first named tropical system (Ana) before the season, so we’re well on our way to having what will likely be a busy season for a lot of us.
BCW: Does the February Freeze play a role in reducing the water temperature in the Gulf?
CC: I don’t think it makes much of a difference. It may have had a short-term impact, but we’ve already had a system in late May that brought us a lot of rain, so I do think it will really have a lot of impact.
Think about the difference between land and water: land cools and warms very quickly, but water doesn’t do that. Water maintains temperatures fairly even.
BCW: What has the area learned since Harvey?
CC: One of the things I hope a lot of people have learned is the importance of flood insurance. It’s the difference between you being able to recover or not. This is such a challenge in our area. If you have a home, you can get flood insurance, but you need to plan ahead because when you purchase flood insurance through either the federal government or your insurance agent, it takes 30 days to get activated. You can buy it today, but it’s not going to be a valid policy for 30 days.
Think about the situation we’re in now. We all know someone who has lost a job over the past year, so the financial strain is more profound. Something a lot of people view as extra, such as flood insurance, those things are viewed as non-necessities when they’re comparing that to “am I going to have enough money for food, rent or other basic bills?”
BCW: Are “once in a lifetime” events like Katrina and Harvey becoming more of the norm?
CC: While you can’t attribute each of those storms to climate change, what NOAA did discover is that the climate is different from 50-100 years ago. It’s important for us to reevaluate on a continuing basis what ‘normal’ looks like for us. I think part of it is that we’re in a new wormhole. The storms for us will likely become more and more intense. We may not see a complete change in things, but the intensity will be greater than it was 50 years ago.
BCW: What can local governments do to better prepare for the next big storm?
CC: I think our area does a pretty good job. I’ve always been impressed with how well the different governments talk to each other, even when they have different political views. I don’t think that has changed. Communication and planning is the key. I think the more governments can talk to each other and listen to people on the ground — the leaders in the churches, community groups, those that are in the trenches — and making sure those people have a seat at the table, but are really able to have to power to do what needs to be taken care of is key.
It’s the low-income communities that suffer the most, so we need to be really listening to those people who are there every day providing healthcare and education and food subsidies. They know how to get things to people.
BCW: Do you miss being in the middle of it all, especially during a major storm?
CC: It’s mixed for me. There’s a comfort in knowing that I have the opportunity to care for my neighbors and my own family and be there for them. I love social media, so it is a place where my thoughts and my knowledge are still valued. I’m still able to reach people and share that with them
