City braces for round of severe weather on Valentine's Day

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The city says it's ready to respond as needed when the powerful line of storms predicted for Valentine's Day moves in. They're not bringing any extra crews in overnight, but they are keeping a close eye on the storm just in case they need to call an audible.

Valentine's Day shoppers who were planning to hit the shopping tents around the city for the last-minute gift may be a different story.

We met John Kennedy and Herbert Watkins while they got their Valentine's Day shopping done tonight at the tent outside the West University Kroger. Watkins was buying for a friend.

"I'm just trying to beat the rush," he says.

Kennedy was buying for his wife and mother-in-law.

"I'm trying to get ahead of the rush and get done before tomorrow and the bad weather sets in, get it all done," he told us as he checked out.

The forecast for this Valentine's Day is not rosy.

"Some strong winds are expected throughout the area, and there's some potential for some isolated tornadoes as well. So we want everybody to be prepared," says Michael Walter with the Office of Emergency Management.

Walter says they anticipate winds to be a factor all over the city, but his folks are not in panic mode.

"We're not going to have anyone here tonight because the timing of the storm looks like it's going to be during the middle of the day which actually works out for us because all of our crews are already out there."

Back at Kroger, the crew started packing the arrangements in tighter and putting them in boxes to protect them the wind. The customers we spoke with say the storms won't snuff out their V-Day fire.

"Valentine's Day happens once a year regardless of weather and you're going to make the best of it no matter what," Kennedy said.

"If you're in love, it doesn't matter," added Watkins.