By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Scott Tafuri, Galveston County’s Emergency Management Coordinator, lists off the storms that were near misses and those that have smacked Galveston County coast since he was appointed as Emergency Management Coordinator. He also managed COVID-19 and the 2021 winter freeze.
He came to Galveston County as a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard. He and his wife decided they liked the warmer weather in Galveston County much better than the weather in New Jersey and so they stayed after he left the Coast Guard.
He said the winter storm of 2021 made them question their assessment of Gulf Coast weather. Nonetheless, they are still here, and he is leading the team providing emergency management for the entire county.
He shared that he always wanted to serve in the military, but when he suggested he was going to join the Army a family member said, “Don’t join the Army. You’ll end up in Afghanistan.” The Coast Guard seemed like the place for him, he shared, so he enlisted in that branch.
In the end, despite enlisting in a different branch then the one he had first intended to, he said he ended up in Afghanistan for six months when he signed up for a special assignment working with combined forces.
He said he has and his five children, but only three of them are humans,
“I still call my dogs my children,” Tafuri said. He and his wife live in League City and are enjoying their adventures as Texans. One adventure was his little girl.
“My little girl was a miracle baby” shared Tafuri. His wife had been told she would never bear children. A trip to the emergency room for an unexplained pain resulted in the news that she was pregnant.
Then came child number two and child number three, both of whom were both adopted. He shared that one of their family members was not able to continue parenting and so they grew their family.
“When I’m out with my son, people assume he is my natural-born child,” Tafuri shared.
Becoming a family with one child was a blessed change for him and his wife, but adding two more was even more of a blessing and change. He reports they are loving these blessings and have taken to doing all the typical mom and dad stuff, such as getting involved in youth sports and attending church together.
Weathering the unexpected family additions with a smile and commitment to seeing the family through the good and bad times is like the other adventures he has had since taking on his role with the county.
Beyond just providing information during an emergency, his team coordinates getting needed supplies to affected zones. In the case of mandatory evacuations, it is essential to provide evacuated zones with more law enforcement to help protect the homes and business of those who have evacuated, and Tafuri said providing that protection is a number one task for his team.
His specialty as a military officer was gathering and interpreting intelligence.
As you look around his office and the adjoining National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also known as NOAA, you begin to realize that managing emergencies starts with gathering the correct information.
Though he brings to his current position his expertise in gathering data and his experience of living in coastal communities along with being a former officer in the Coast Guard, he shared that he discovered the position is not exactly like being an officer. He said used to be able to give orders which were followed down the chain of command.
“With this job it’s about building relationships with the community and providing information along with resources,” explained Tafuri.” I don’t give very many direct orders.”.
He really must rely upon the cooperation between his office and all the jurisdictions in the county when a disaster strikes. With the presence of petrochemical industry in the Galveston County and with the region being vulnerable to hurricanes, disasters are not a matter of if, they are a matter of when for the county.
The good news for all of us in Galveston County is that the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is projected to be “less active” this year “than in recent years” according to the NOAA website.
The National Hurricane Center has predicted 12 to 17 named storms, five to nine hurricanes, and one to four major hurricanes, according to the NOAA website.
The lower projected storm rate is due to El Nino, which will be warming up the waters but also creating a wind shear which helps to keep storms from forming, explained Tafuri.
The bad news is that Galveston County is smack in the middle of a hurricane zone, and one major hurricane for Galveston County is a bad year for the county.
“Make a plan for a disaster!” is part of the motto the county promotes shared Tafuri
Staying informed is your best chance of staying safe. Tafuri advises people to find a source for information that they trust in a time of disaster. He suggests consulting your own jurisdiction’s social media pages or tuning into GCOEM.org.
Being prepared is the other advice Have your emergency plan and emergency backpack or other type of bag. If you need medication for several days, be ready with all your needed medications. If an evacuation is ordered, there will be limited access to needed services.
Should a major hurricane threaten the area, the mayor of each city will make decisions about mandatory evacuations. According to Tafuri, once an evacuation order is issued by a mayor, the county is committed to providing all needed support.
Local Emergency Management Offices
All cities in Galveston County have their own emergency management offices.
| Office | Phone | Office | Phone |
| Bayou Vista | 409-935-0449 | Kemah | 281-334-5414 |
| Clear Lake Shores | 281-334-2799 | La Marque | 409-938-9260 |
| Dickinson | 281-337-4700 | League City | 281-554-1300 |
| Friendswood | 281-996-3335 | Santa Fe | 409-925-2000 |
| Galveston | 409-765-3710 | Texas City | 409-643-5707 |
| Hitchcock | 409-986-5559 | Tiki Island | 409-935-1427 |
| Jamaica Beach | 409-737-1140 | Health District | 409-938-7221 |
Should we be the unlucky area that is struck by a major hurricane, we know we can count on the goodness of the many people who have proven over and over in our history that Texans will help each other out during disaster. We also have many trained professionals who are ready to support the region should a disaster strike.
