Houston and Harris County crews prepare to respond to Beryl

As Beryl continued its path toward the Texas landfill, Mayor John Whitmire and other Houston-area officials urged local residents to stay home starting at 10 p.m. Sunday to stay safe and not add additional demands on first responders ready to spring into action as the storm’s effects are felt here.

Beryl is expected to make landfall as a hurricane at 5 p.m. Sunday. Power outages are possible for two days.

“To all Houstonians, we need to take Beryl very, very seriously,” Whitmire said at the start of his news conference. “Tomorrow, city employees will be working from home. City courts and other services will be suspended and their decision will be made late tomorrow night, around Tuesday.”

Whitmire said neighboring governments, including Montgomery and Fort Bend counties, have offered to help. The local school district closed Monday, and in Houston ISD, classes are canceled for Monday and Tuesday.

“This storm has been unpredictable since day one. The weather conditions are not going to be the same when you go to bed tonight than when you wake up in the morning,” Whitmire said. He added that winds and rain will start to get very intense around midnight. “We will have flooding in the streets.”

Subway service was scheduled to stop around 10 p.m. Sunday and resume around 8 a.m. Monday, conditions permitting. Most city employees were asked to work from home Monday.

Acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said, “The fact is we are better prepared than ever for a storm like this. I think we’ve increased our force now to about 20 rescue trucks on the highways. And we’ve pre-positioned trucks throughout the city. We have hundreds of people who have been trained in swift water management, so we’re much better prepared.”

“How can the public help? Let me echo the mayor and the commissioner: Don’t hit the road. I will go further and ask bars and nightclubs if they can help us. If you close early, your employees can get home safely.”

Particular attention will be paid to the western part of the city, which is expected to be hardest hit by the storm. Authorities said they hoped Beryl would pass through the area quickly.

Precinct 2 County Commissioner Adrian Garcia said special attention will also be paid to conditions along the San Jacinto River. “Wind will be our biggest threat and it won’t be possible to get on the road until 10 p.m. tonight.”

Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey said 16 crews were already out in flood zones in his district. Harris County Judge Lina Hildalgo was not in attendance and was told she would hold her own news conference later Sunday.

Fire Chief Samuel Peña said, “We have extra flood crews. We have extra flood vehicles.” He added that they are also teaming up with the city’s public works department to make sure they clear debris from the streets. He also warned residents with generators to be careful not to fall victim to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Whitmire said he is in constant contact with acting Gov. Dan Patrick and the city is coordinating efforts with the Department of Transportation, the State Emergency Management Center and the Department of Public Safety.