[Press Conference: “Weather Update and Region Flooding”]
[00:00:19]
CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE KIND OF AT THE MERCY OF THE WEATHER, BUT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN POSSIBLE.
ANYONE WANNA MENTION SOMETHING THAT I'VE LEFT OUT SHEET? WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT YOU'VE, UH, GATHERED HERE AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU, MAYOR FOR, UH, FOR THE SUPPORT ON THIS THING.
UH, AS HE, AS HE'S MENTIONED, UH, HE'S AUTHORIZED US TO STAFF UP IN, IN ANTICIPATION OF A, A WORST CASE SCENARIO FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR THE KINGWOOD AREA COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER HAS ALSO BEEN, UH, ENGAGED IN, IN THESE CONVERSATIONS IN THE BRIEFINGS.
THE, UH, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE CO-LOCATED HERE AT FIRE STATION 1 0 2.
WE'RE RUNNING THE OPERATION OUT HERE.
WE HAVE OUR SHIFT COMMANDER, OUR, OUR INCIDENT COMMANDERS OUT HERE AS WELL.
THEY'RE GONNA REMAIN THROUGHOUT THIS OPERATION.
WHAT WE SAW THIS MORNING WAS, UH, WHAT THE RAIN THAT WE GOT WAS MAINLY STREET LEVEL FLOODING.
WE'RE EXPECTING TO SEE THE SAME, UH, TYPE OF, OF SITUATION TONIGHT, BUT WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT SATURDAY NIGHT WE ARE GONNA EXPERIENCE SOME, UH, ENOUGH FLOODING THAT WE MAY SEE CERTAIN AREAS UP HERE IN CAMBRIDGE THAT ARE GETTING FLOODED INSIDE THE HOMES, UH, SIX INCHES TO A FOOT IS WHAT THEY'RE ANTICIPATING.
WE WILL HAVE A BETTER PICTURE OF THAT AS SOON AS WE, UH, GET ADDITIONAL BRIEFINGS, WEATHER BRIEFINGS HERE IN THE, UH, THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
BUT, UH, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE HOUSTONIANS AND ESPECIALLY PEOPLE UP HERE IN KINGWOOD TO MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, MONITOR AND KEEP THE, UH, THE ADVICE AND, AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF, OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAYOR, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, THE COUNTIES, BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING, UM, WHAT WE KNOW, UH, IN A TIMELY MANNER TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE IN THIS AREA DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THEMSELVES.
UM, AGAIN, WE ARE GONNA SEE SOME STREET LEVEL FLOODING.
IT IS GONNA GET WORSE, UH, AFTER, AFTER SATURDAY OR DURING SATURDAY.
SO AGAIN, UH, I WANT THANK THE FIRST RESPONDERS, POLICE FIRE DEPARTMENT, OEM, MAYOR'S OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER, FLICKINGER OFFICE FOR THE SUPPORT.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND KEEP A POSTURE THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ASSUMING A WORST CASE SCENARIO TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE SERVICING THIS COMMUNITY OF BROKERS.
THIS IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT THAT WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT IS LIVING AS ONE OF THE RESIDENTS OF KINGWOOD AND SO CAN KNOW FIRSTHAND THE ANXIETY THAT OUR HOUSTONIANS ARE EXPERIENCING HERE IN KINGWOOD.
REAL QUICK, UM, DRIVING IN HERE WASN'T MUCH OF A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE ISSUE IS REALLY GONNA BE WHEN THE WATER THAT'S BEING CURRENTLY RELEASED OUT OF THE CONROE DAM, IT'S HERE, AND WE'RE LOOKING PROBABLY ABOUT 24 HOURS FROM NOW.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY RELEASING ABOUT 71,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND.
UH, THAT'S THE HIGHEST RELEASE THEY'VE HAD OTHER THAN HARVEY.
SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF ISSUE WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IN 24 HOURS FROM NOW, WE'RE GONNA START GETTING THAT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE LOW LYING AREAS AROUND THE RIVER, UH, REALLY NEED TO BE PREPARED TO SEE ABOUT GETTING OUT OF THEIR HOUSE QUICKLY.
DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO TRY AND MAKE A CHANGE REPRESENTATIVE, ANOTHER TEAM MEMBER.
AND, UH, COUNCIL
JUST WANT TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID, BUT THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAVE, UH, IN MY DISTRICT 1 27, WHICH GOES A PRETTY GOOD WAY, IS THE, UH, HUFFMAN AREA ALSO.
AND SO AND SO TO THE, UH, TO THE RESIDENTS THERE.
WELL, ALL WE SAID IS BE VIGILANT, BE READY.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS, UH, THAT THE MAYOR AUGH HAS DONE, AND OF COURSE, UH, COUNCILMAN'S SIGNATURE AND WHICH ADD ALL THAT TO THE SHERIFF.
I KNOW WE HAVE AN ATTORNEY THERE.
BOB, YOU'RE KIND OF THE FLOOD GURU.
I'D BE GLAD FOR TO HEAR FROM A RESIDENT THAT LIVES AND BREATHES IT.
UH, IT MONITORS IT WITH YOUR BLOG.
AND KINGWOOD IS A SPECIAL COMMUNITY IN THAT IT'S TIGHT AND, UH, IT LOOKS OUT FOR EACH OTHER.
UH, EXPERIENCED THE FLOODING BEFORE, UH, AFTER THIS STORM.
WE NEED TO HAVE A TASK FORCE AGAIN, UH, TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH SANDBARS IN THE RIVER, UH,
[00:05:01]
DRAINAGE FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT, WORKING WITH MONTGOMERY COUNTY, UH, FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO REMIND OUR PARTNERS THAT WE ALL HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES HERE.
BOB, YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU CAN ADD? YOU CERTAINLY CAN PUT A FACE ON HOW YOU, UH, NETWORK WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I RUN A FLOOD BLOG CALLED REDUCE FLOODING.COM, UM, WHICH, UH, POSTS SOMETHING ALMOST EVERY DAY ABOUT FLOODING AND FLOOD MITIGATION AND HAS SINCE HURRICANE HARVEY.
I THINK THE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO MENTION AT THIS TIME IS THE INCREDIBLE COMMITMENT OF MAYOR WHITMEYER AND OUR REPRESENTATIVES, MR. INGER.
UM, AND, UH, UH, NOW, UH, WE, WE JUST HAVE AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE IT.
I THINK AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, THE THING THAT EVERYBODY COMMENTED ON WAS THAT IF WE EVER HAD ANOTHER ONE, THERE WOULDN'T BE A COMMUNITY TO COME BACK TO BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD JUST UP AND WALK AWAY.
UH, SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THIS TEAM, UH, ESPECIALLY CHARLES AND HIM
BOB EMPHASIZED THE, UH, COMMUNITY COHESIVENESS, HOW PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, HOW ROUTINELY TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT OUR CITY IS AND HOW GREAT OUR PEOPLE ARE AND WILL WITNESS IT TODAY.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO A INCIDENT REVIEW, AND THIS IS OVER TO SEE ONCE AND ALL STATE, FEDERAL, AND LOCAL RESOURCES CAN COME TOGETHER BECAUSE I DO KNOW THE ANXIETY THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE HEARING RIGHT NOW, AND I WANT THEM TO BE HOUSTON PROUD AND REALIZE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE.
SO THE PRESS HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE IT ACROSS THE REGION AND LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE CARE AND WILL BE HERE AROUND THE CLOCK.
WITH THAT SAID, IS ANYTHING THAT I'VE LEFT UN TOUCH, CAN WE HAVE A, UH, THE SAME INFORMATION IN SPANISH, IF POSSIBLE WITH VERY WOULD LIKE, I CAN DO THAT FOR YOU.
CAN I, UH, BEFORE I DO THAT, UH, I WANT TO STRESS ONE POINT AND, UH, THIS MORNING WE HAD, AS I MENTIONED, IT WAS STREET LEVEL FLOODING WHERE IT'S GONNA EXPECT THAT AGAIN TONIGHT AND EVEN ON SATURDAY, PART OF IT'S GONNA BE THE STREET LEVEL FLOODING THE MAJORITY OF OUR RESCUE POLICY.
MATTER OF FACT, ALL OF 'EM TODAY WERE STRANDED MOTORISTS, UH, DRIVING INTO HIGH WATER.
AND WE ASKED THE PRESS, UH, TO ALSO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE DANGERS OF DRIVING INTO THESE FLOODING ROADWAYS BECAUSE THAT CREATES A HAZARD AND A DANGER FOR THE MOTORISTS.
BUT IT ALSO CREATES A HAZARD FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS THAT ARE GONNA EXPOSE THEMSELVES OUT THERE TO TRY TO, TO EVACUATE AND, AND AFFECT THE RESCUE.
SO IT'S DANGEROUS TO DRIVE INTO ANY FLOODED ROAD, STAY OFF, OUT OF FLOODED ROADS.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN THE CALL TYPE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THIS MORNING AT SEVEN OR NINE, EXCUSE ME, NINE WATER EVACUATION CALLS THIS MORNING.
THEY WERE ALL FROM THE, FROM THE SURFACE ROADS FOR STRANDED MOTORISTS, UH, AND ESPAN WHITMEYER.
[00:10:32]
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MAYOR MEYER, YOU'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF PRESS LATELY ABOUT TALKING WITH MAYOR OR JUDGE ALGO.IS THIS THE FIRST CONVERSATION YOU'VE HAD WITH HER? THAT'S A WRAP LIA ISSUE YOU COULD BRING UP.
WE GOT SERIOUS, WE GOT SERIOUS ISSUES.
OUR STAFFS HAVE BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT PREPARATION.
I KNOW THE COUNTY JUDGE, I DID NOT NEED A MEET AND GREET WITH HER.
THIS IS WORK TIME AND WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES.
WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
WE REPRESENT THE SAME PEOPLE, BUT, UH, WE TRY TO CREATE A, AN ISSUE ABOUT PARTIES TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER.
I GO TO WORK EVERY MORNING AROUND SEVEN 30 AND STAY LATE ABOUT 18 HOUR DAYS.
UH, 'CAUSE I'M NOT PLAYING GAMES.
WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY.
AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL SLOW DAY FOR SOMEBODY TO MAKE THAT AN ISSUE IN THE PRESS AND FOR YOU OR EITHER CHIEF PEN, BUT TO MENTION IT, EVEN THE WORDS HURRICANE HARVEY, FOR SOME OF US, IT'S LIKE SHELL SHOCK.
YOU'RE NOT SUGGESTING THIS WILL BE ANYTHING NEAR, WE'RE TELLING YOU WE'RE DOING THE VERY BEST WE CAN TO PREPARE FOR WHATEVER NATURE BRINGS OUR WAY.
WHAT HAPPENS IN POLK COUNTY? MONTGOMERY COUNTY AFFECTS PARIS COUNTY.
SO WE'RE HERE TO TALK SERIOUS BUSINESS TO ADVISE RESIDENTS THAT THEY NEED TO BE ON ALERT.
THEY NEED TO LISTEN TO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THE, UH, COUNTY JUDGE CAN DECLARE AN EMERGENCY SHE'S DOING SO SHE'S ASKING FOR MANDATORY, UH, EVACUATION.
WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, AND IT'S A SHAME.
WE WASTE OUR TIME TALKING PETTINESS, MR. MAYOR, WHICH, WHICH THESE CONDITIONS ARE NOT PETTY.
IT'S, IT'S THE POLITICS THAT SOMEONE WANTS TO BRING IN THE RELATIONSHIP.
I WORK ACROSS THE AISLE WITH EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO PLAY GAMES AND PETTINESS.
UH, QUICK QUESTION FOR BOTH OF Y'ALL.
UH, SOURCES INSIDE HFB TELL US THAT PART OF THE SWIFT WATER TASK FORCE, THOSE TEAM MEMBERS, THAT MAN THIS EQUIPMENT THAT WE SEE OUT HERE SAVING LIVES, BUT THEY WERE SENT HOME EARLY IN THE MORNING.
THESE ARE SOURCES INSIDE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TELLING KPRC THIS.
CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT? AND IF SO, WHY WAS THAT DECISION MADE? WHENEVER THE FORECAST MODEL SHOWED THAT WE WERE GONNA RECEIVE THIS DEVASTATING RAIN, I, I WOULD YIELD WITH THE FIRE CHIEF, BUT HE TOLD ME WHEN THE LAST HOUR HE KEEPING PEOPLE AROUND THE CLOCK BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO KEEP 'EM ENGAGED AND TO HAVE TO REENGAGE LATER IF NECESSARY.
BUT I THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, NEWS FOR MOST OF US THAT FOLKS ARE NOT BEING UTILIZED AT THIS POINT.
SO, UH, LOOK, THE, UH, THE, THE SHORT ANSWER TO THAT IS WE HAVE ALL OUR UNITS STAFFED UP RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE ADDITIONAL HIGH WATER, UH, RESOURCES THAT ARE STAFFED UP.
THEY'RE GONNA REMAIN STAFFED UP HOW WE STAFF THEM.
WE, WE HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TO ROTATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UH, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO, TO KEEP 'EM ON DUTY.
BUT, UH, AFTER, AFTER SO MANY HOURS, UH, IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO ROTATE THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
BUT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN STAFFED.
I JUST CONFIRMED THAT WITH THE SHIFT COMMANDER.
UH, AND SO YES, THEY WERE STAFFED UP YESTERDAY EARLY BEFORE WE EVEN HAD ANY OF THIS, UH, OF THIS WEATHER ISSUE, UH, THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH THIS THIS MORNING.
WE KEPT THEM ON, UH, WE STAFFED THEM THE NEW, WE'VE GOT A NEW CREW HERE, RIGHT, THAT ARE GONNA BE STAFFED.
SO THE UNITS WERE GONNA ARE GONNA REMAIN STAFFED.
THE PEOPLE MAY CHANGE, BUT THE UNITS ARE GONNA REMAIN STAFFED THIS MORNING, UH, SOURCES TELL US THAT THERE WERE CALLS FOR SERVICE WHERE THOSE EQUIP THOSE APPARATUS WERE TO GO OUT AND CONDUCT THESE RESCUES, BUT AT TIMES THERE WASN'T STAFFED TO STAFF THOSE APPARAT.
DID THAT HAPPEN? YOU WANT TO MAY WANT TO CHECK YOUR SOURCES.
DID THAT HAPPEN AT ALL OR WAS THEY CALL FULFILLED? I DON'T THINK WE MISSED, UH, A RESPONSE TO ANY CALL
[00:15:40]
QUESTION FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLU AND JUROR ME BOBUH, CAN YOU APPROXIMATE HOW MANY RESIDENCES YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD BE IN DANGER? ALL THE LOW LI LINE RESIDENCES ARE KIND OF ON THE CUSP.
MARK, YOU WANT TO CHIME IN ON THIS TOO, THAT, I MEAN, WE'RE GETTING TO THAT POINT TO WHERE IT'S VERY CLOSE.
UH, WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS HOW MUCH RAIN WE'RE GOING TO GET IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW IN THE PEAK OF THE OUTFLOW FROM THE DAM IS GOING TO OCCUR THAT WHEN YOU KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN WE GET, HOW MUCH ARE CONTRIBUTED TO BY THE OTHER TRIBUTARIES THAT COME INTO SAN CENTRA RIVER THAT WE DON'T KNOW.
SO I SAID, IT'S RIGHT AT THE CUSP AND YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY SERIOUS.
CERTAINLY NOT STANDING HERE AND SAYING, OH, WE KNOW THIS MANY HOMES ARE GONNA FLOOD.
WE'RE HOPING THAT NONE OF 'EM DO THAT.
MY GUESS IS WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A FEW THAT ACTUALLY DO.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT DOZENS OF HOMES OR POTENTIALLY HUNDREDS OF HOMES? I THINK CLOSER TO DOZENS.
BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE DON'T KNOW.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN WE'RE GONNA GET.
UM, LAKE CONROE, THEY HAVE, UH, INCREASED THE RELEASE TO 71,000 CUBIC FEET AND IT WAS STILL INCREASE, BUT VERY SLOWLY, THEY HAVE PROMISED US THAT AS SOON AS IT STOPS INCREASING THE WATER LEVEL IN LAKE CONROE, THAT THEY WILL START THROTTLING BACK THE RELEASE.
SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF IT'S UP TO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WEATHER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.