On the Texas coast, the emergency plan matters as much as the apartment. Here is what Texas requires, what to ask on a tour, and where Galveston County families can find help.
Why Galveston County is a different search
Most families comparing senior living in Greater Houston ask about price, staffing and distance. In Galveston County there is a fourth question that can matter more than any of them: what happens to my parent when a hurricane enters the Gulf? The county includes the island city of Galveston and mainland communities such as League City, Texas City and Dickinson, and the risks are not the same everywhere. Low-lying and island locations face storm surge and mandatory evacuation orders that a community inland may never see.
That does not mean the coast is the wrong choice. Many older adults have lived here for decades, have doctors and churches nearby, and want to stay close to home. It means the storm plan belongs on your checklist next to the monthly rate.
What Texas actually requires of an assisted living facility
The Texas Administrative Code (26 TAC §553.275) sets emergency preparedness rules for licensed assisted living facilities. Based on the text we reviewed, a facility must:
- Document a risk assessment that considers emergencies such as fire, power or water outages and hurricanes.
- Keep a written plan covering direction and control, warning, communication, sheltering, evacuation, transportation, health and medical needs, and resource management.
- Notify its local emergency management coordinator of the plan and document that coordination.
- Register with 2-1-1 Texas.
- Give residents and their legally authorized representatives a written copy of the plan or an evacuation summary.
- Review the plan at least annually, train staff yearly and run at least one unannounced drill a year.
On evacuation specifically, the rule says the facility must evacuate if the county judge or the local mayor mandates it. The plan must name evacuation destinations and routes, list at least one receiving facility or pre-arranged destination with a documented acknowledgment, plus an alternate, and cover vehicles, drivers, medications, records, oxygen, food and water. The facility must notify HHSC and the emergency management coordinator when it decides to evacuate, and determine whether it is safe before residents return. If a facility stays in place, indoor temperatures where residents live must be kept between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The page we read notes that its text may not be the latest version, so check the official Texas Administrative Code for the current rule.
What an island evacuation looked like in 2020
Rules on paper are easier to judge next to a real example. Before Tropical Storm Laura in August 2020, the City of Galveston's Office of Emergency Management ordered a mandatory evacuation for residents of nursing homes and assisted living centers on the island, according to Fox 26 Houston. The report described one facility packing two weeks of supplies into a truck, putting residents on two buses, and moving them to a sister facility in San Antonio. Of 63 residents, 58 went with the facility and families stepped in for the rest.
The lesson is not that every facility will do the same. It is that a good plan has a real destination, real vehicles and a clear role for families, and that you want to hear those details before you sign, not on the day an order is issued.
Questions to ask on every tour
- May I read the emergency plan or the evacuation summary? Residents and their representatives are supposed to receive one.
- Where do residents go, and how do they get there? Ask for the receiving facility, the transportation, and who rides along.
- Is the plan the same for memory care? Residents with dementia can be badly unsettled by a long trip, so ask how the staff handle it.
- What is my job as the family? Some communities ask families to pick up a parent; others do not. Get it in writing.
- Who pays for the evacuation? Ask whether any evacuation or temporary-stay costs are billed to residents.
- What if the facility stays in place? Ask about backup power, oxygen supply and how the building keeps residents within the required temperature range.
Check the license and the record
Every assisted living facility in Texas should hold a license from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and the provider search shows inspections and violations. Our step-by-step guide to the HHSC provider search explains where to look, and the Type A vs Type B explainer covers what a license means for staffing. For amenities, memory care and move-in requirements, use the operator's own website rather than a listing page, which may be out of date.
If your parent stays home: STEAR and planning
Many Galveston County seniors age in place, and the same storm questions apply at home. The State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) is a free, voluntary registry that gives local emergency planners information about residents who may need help, including people who need transportation or have medical needs. You can register by dialing 2-1-1. Two cautions from the state itself: you should update the information annually, and registering does not guarantee a specific service during an emergency.
The Galveston County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management lists a phone number of 281-309-5002 and the website gcoem.org. The county's 2025 disaster guide describes evacuation zones sorted by ZIP code, with a Coastal Zone, Zone A and Zone B, and tells residents to find their zone using the QR code in the guide. It says mandatory evacuations are issued when conditions indicate it is not safe to remain. Look up your parent's zone before a storm is in the Gulf, not after. For oxygen and dialysis in particular, read our hurricane and power-outage planning guide.
Local programs worth a call
- Galveston County Senior Services. The county says it runs three community centers, with congregate meals and transportation to and from the centers provided through H-GAC and the Health and Human Services Commission. The office number is 409-770-6251, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The page does not list eligibility, center addresses, meal costs or ride schedules, so ask about each.
- Houston-Galveston Area Council Area Agency on Aging. H-GAC serves the region, including Galveston County, and is a good first call for meals, rides and information. The toll-free number is 1-800-437-7396.
- Long-term care ombudsman. If your parent already lives in a community and you have concerns, the ombudsman is an outside advocate separate from the facility. The Area Agency on Aging can point you to the right contact.
Cost: ranges, not medians
We do not publish a Galveston County median. The most reliable cost data we know of is published at the state level, and city figures from listing sites are often built from a handful of communities. The range we use across Greater Houston for assisted living, $3,200–$7,800 a month, is a range, and where a community falls depends on the apartment, the level of care and the fee structure. Ask for the base rate, how care levels are priced, any community fee and whether it is refundable, and how the community describes past rate increases. If Medicaid may be involved, read our guide to nursing facility Medicaid vs the STAR+PLUS waiver before you assume what a community accepts.
Where to start
Begin with three decisions: how close the family needs your parent to be, what level of care is needed now and likely in a year, and how much storm risk the family is comfortable with. Then shortlist communities, verify each license, read each emergency plan, and tour with the questions above. A free advisor can narrow the list so you are not guessing from listing pages. Call Houston Senior Advisor at (346) 385-3815 for a free 15-minute conversation, and we will help you compare communities in Galveston County and across the Houston area.
Last updated October 8, 2026. This guide is general information for Greater Houston families, not medical, legal, or financial advice.
