City of Houston and Mayor Whitmire Announce Hurricane Season Response Plan – Houston Public Media

Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced the city’s plans to deal with hurricanes ahead of an expected severe weather event later this week.

On Monday, along with leaders of the Houston Emergency Center’s emergency management team, Whitmire said the city of Houston is prepared for any flooding that may come with the rain.

Most of the heavy rain will likely fall south of the metro area, along the coast, said Thomas Muñoz, acting director of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

“Our OEM is at level three, increased awareness to keep everyone safe,” Muñoz said. “Our OEM team will be ready to respond. I encourage everyone to go to alertHouston.org and sign up so you can get our points on social media.”

Acting Houston Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said his department was prepared to respond to rescue operations: “We have over 20 rescue trucks and over 30 boats. We have almost 300 officers who have been trained in swift water and high water rescue,” Satterwhite said. And we’re adding to it every day, so we took it upon ourselves to raise our own bar after Hurricane Harvey. »

Fire Chief Samuel Peña urged people to stay away from flooded streets during and after storms: “We anticipate street level flooding. This is always a concern. If you can’t see the road, stay off these streets,” Peña said. “I don’t know what the water did, you don’t know how deep it is or if the water washed out the road.”

Peña also urged residents to purchase flood insurance.

“The best thing we can do for recovery is to have flood insurance. It can take 30 days for flood insurance to be activated, so you need to make these preparations now.”

After the rain, other departments like the Department of Solid Waste and the Department of Health will begin working to clear the streets of any possible debris and ensure that residents have clean water and adequate shelter if they need it. need.

Meanwhile, heat-related issues were at the top of the list according to Public Health Director Stephen Williams. Multi-service centers will open across the city to serve people struggling in the elements and without power.

“From May to November 2023, there were more than 3,500 heat-related illness visits to emergency rooms and healthcare facilities in the Houston area,” Williams said.

Mayor Whitmire also promised that seniors living in independent living facilities would not be forgotten by unscrupulous operators. Where many seniors found themselves struggling during last month’s derecho, Mayor Whitmire is taking a stand: “Seniors are the most vulnerable, they are dependent on someone else, often they are tied to the bed. They cannot go out; some have no family. . So we are their voice. But we also put owners and managers on alert, we will hold them to account. »

Whitmire said many group homes are run by independent operators and are not licensed. He says he’s working with the district attorney to fully prosecute these operators if they turn their backs on the care of their residents during an emergency.