* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:17] GOOD AFTERNOON. I CALL THIS PRESS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER THAT WILL IMPACT EVERY HOUSTONIAN AND EVEN OUR REGION. AS YOU KNOW, I DO NOT CALL PRESS CONFERENCES LIGHTLY. I DON'T WASTE PRESS CONFERENCES, AND THIS ONE IS NOT GONNA BE WASTED BECAUSE WE'RE FIXING TO BE ATTACKED BY A SEVERE ARCTIC BLAST. IT WILL GET HERE LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING SATURDAY. TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, 135 TEXAS COUNTIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN DECLARED DISASTER BY GOVERNOR ABBOTT. THE CONDITIONS THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THOSE DECLARATIONS ARE HEADED THIS WAY. AND IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER, ANOTHER THING I SAY TODAY, IT'S BE PREPARED AND BE CAUTIOUS. THAT'S THE ADVICE I GIVE MY FAMILY, AND I'VE GIVEN TO ALL HOUSTONIANS BECAUSE I CONSIDER ALL HOUSTONIANS MY FAMILY. IT'S A COMPLEX CHALLENGE TO GIVE ACCURATE, TIMELY, AND CORRECT TRANSPARENT INFORMATION. I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT SINCE LAST SUNDAY WITH THREE METEOROLOGISTS. THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, SO I HAD TO BUILD MY OWN CONSENSUS, WORKING WITH MY TEAM AND TALKING TO ADVISORS AND EXPERTS, INCLUDING THESE METEOROLOGISTS. AND THE INFORMATION THAT I'M ABOUT TO SHARE WITH HOUSTONIANS, THE DIRECTIONS, THE ADVICE, THE PLEADINGS, IS THE SAME ONES THAT WE SHOULD ALL FOLLOW. I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE IN PREPARATION. WE STARTED LAST SUNDAY. WE'VE CHECKED ALL THE BOXES. I HAVE THE BEST TEAM MANAGEMENT TEAM DIRECTORS IN AMERICA. THEY WERE SELECTED FOR THEIR EXPERTISE, THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, THEIR HONESTY, AND THEIR PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE. THERE'S NOT A WEAK LINK IN MY ADMINISTRATION DEALING WITH A CRISIS SUCH AS THIS. I WANT HOUSTONIANS TO HEAR WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE TO BE PREPARED. AND THEN I WANT TO TALK TO HOUSTONIANS ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. SO WE STARTED LAST SUNDAY MEETING, MET ALL DAY TODAY. THE ADVICE I'M GIVING FOLKS BUILT ON THIS COALITION OF ADVISORS AND EXPERTS IS THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A SEVERE STORM LIKE VERY FEW HOUSTON RESIDENTS HAVE EXPERIENCED. YES, WE HAD A STORM LAST WINTER SNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE PLAYING IN THAT SNOW, BUT NOT THE TEMPERATURES THAT WE'RE FIXING TO EXPERIENCE OVER THE NEXT 72 HOURS. NOT THE CHILL FACTOR THAT WE'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE. NOT 48 HOURS OF POSSIBLE BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH. LISTEN UP. HOUSTONIANS. THE CITY IS WORKING AS WE TALK. PREPARING THE STREETS, TREATING THE STREETS. WE'RE GONNA OPEN AND PREPARED TO OPEN RIGHT NOW, 12 WARMING CENTERS. THEY'LL OFFICIALLY OPEN AT FIVE TOMORROW, BUT WE ALREADY ARE THERE PREPARED OF THE 12 NINE WE'LL HAVE GENERATORS. WHEN I WAS SWORN IN, OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS SERVING AS COOLING AND WARMING CENTERS HAD ZERO GENERATORS. NOW WE HAVE NINE OF THEM COVERED BY GENERATORS AS WE DISCUSSED ENERGY IN A MOMENT. THE OTHER THREE ARE TOP PRIORITIES. LOGISTICS KEPT US FROM PUTTING MOBILE GENERATORS. THERE WE WILL BE OPEN 24 HOURS. NO ONE WILL BE REFUSED. SOMEONE MENTIONED SOMEBODY'S GONNA ASK ABOUT ICE. DON'T EVEN BRING IT UP. HOUSTONIANS. ALL RESIDENTS ARE WELCOME. I PLEAD WITH ALL HOUSTONIANS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS. COME TO THE WARMING CENTER IF YOU NEED A SHELTER. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. [00:05:01] FOOD, BLANKETS, COTS. WE TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THESE WARMING CENTERS WILL BE OPEN FROM FIVE SATURDAY TO TUESDAY MORNING, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR EVENTS, EVEN TUESDAY MORNING, ALL HANDS ON DECK IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE'RE PREPARED. METRO WILL PICK YOU UP AND TAKE YOU TO THE WARMING CENTER IF YOU NEED TRANSPORTATION. WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE A LOSS OF ENERGY. ERCO SAYS THE GRID IS SUFFICIENTLY RESOURCED, BUT IN THE CASE THAT ONE OF THE ICY TREES IN EAST TEXAS OR EVEN IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY HITS OUR TRANSMISSION LINES CENTER POINT, OUR PARTNER IS HERE. AND THEY DIDN'T JUST SEND A MARKETING PERSON OR A PR PERSON. MR. SANTO, WHERE ARE YOU? YES, SIR. CHIEF OF OPERATIONS FOR ALL OF CENTER POINT. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. WE'RE HOUSTONIANS. WE DON'T WORRY ABOUT PARTISANSHIP. WE WANT TO GET IT DONE. I'VE GOT THE BEST DIRECTORS IN AMERICA. RANDY MICAH PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN WORKING SINCE SUNDAY, RUNNING THE GENERATORS PREVIOUS YEARS. YOU TRY THE GENERATOR DURING THE STORM AND IT WOULDN'T KICK OFF. OUR GENERATORS ARE GONNA WORK OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT. WE WILL HAVE ENGINEERS SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR, MONITORING THE WATER PRESSURE. WE DON'T WANT TO GO INTO A BALL WATER SITUATION LIKE 21. OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT LED BY DR. TRAN, MY NEW APPOINTEE TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR. A MEDICAL DOCTOR COMING OUT OF AN EMERGENCY ROOM INTO THIS CURRENT DIRECTORSHIP IS GONNA MAKE SURE OUR WARMING CENTERS ARE HEALTHY AND ALL THE RESOURCES BROUGHT IN ARE SAFE. WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT BRIAN MASON? WE'RE IN HIS SHOP AS WE TALK. HE'S AN EXPERT. HE COLLABORATES WITH THE EMERGENCY CENTER IN AUSTIN WITH THE COUNTY EMERGENCY CENTER. PEOPLE WONDER WHY I WORK ACROSS THE AISLE WITH AUSTIN. IT'S MOMENTS LIKE THIS. THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED SENDING TXDOT. WHO'S REPRESENTED HERE TODAY? DO OUR OVERPASSES IN HOUSTON. WE GOT 25 DPS OFFICERS IN RESERVE. IF BY CHANCE WE LOST POWER, WE GONNA PROTECT ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS. HPD GETS SPREAD THIN. WE GOT 25 STATE TROOPERS THAT ARE PREPARED TO STEP IN, SO I CANNOT BE MORE PLEASED AND PREPARED AND CONFIDENT WITH WHERE THE CITY OF HOUSTON STANDS. AS WE PREPARE FOR THIS ARCTIC BLAST, I AM URGING EVERYONE REQUESTING YOU AT MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT, TOMORROW, BE WHERE YOU NEED TO BE FOR THE NEXT 72 HOURS. WE WILL MONITOR THINGS. IF THERE'S RELIEF, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW, BUT KNOW WHERE YOU NEED TO BE FOR THE NEXT 72 HOURS AT MIDNIGHT TOMORROW NIGHT. THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT 24 HOURS TO PREPARE. GET SUPPLIES, CHECK YOUR PIPES, DRAIN YOUR WATER. I WOULD SUGGEST PIPES DON'T FREEZE. WATER FREEZES YOUR PLANTS, YOUR PETS. AND LET ME JUST EMPHASIZE THE PETS. THEY CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. THEY'RE HOUSTONIANS IN MY WORLD FOR THE NEXT 72 HOURS. AND QUITE FRANKLY AFTERWARDS, THE PETS NEED TO BE PROTECTED IN THESE CONDITIONS. I'VE ASKED DPS AS THEY PATROL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SOMEONE ABUSING PETS, AND THAT INCLUDES THIS HORSES IN SOME OF OUR STALLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS. WE WILL ENFORCE ANIMAL WELFARE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND CITY ORDINANCES DURING THIS STORM. WE WILL BE IN CONSTANT TOUCH WITH OUR COUNTY PARTNERS. WE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH THE COUNTY EMERGENCY CENTER. I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, COUNTY OFFICIALS, SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN. BUT BACK TO WHAT NOW. I WANT HOUSTONIANS TO DO. BE PREPARED AT MIDNIGHT TO BE IN PLACE. GET YOUR SUPPLIES, GET YOUR DRAIN YOUR PIPES. WE ASK YOU NOT TO DRIP YOUR PIPES. IT IMPACTS OUR WATER PRESSURE, WHICH IMPACTS OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT. [00:10:01] STAY OFF THE STREETS IF HUMANLY POSSIBLE, TOMORROW NIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT, THE ARCTIC BLAST WILL BE HERE AND IT'S HERE TO STAY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. WE'RE GONNA GET RAINS. WE'RE GONNA GET RAIN TOMORROW. WE'RE GONNA GET RAIN SUNDAY. WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT ICE. WE EXPECT ICE. AND AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO GO TO CHURCH SUNDAY, BE CAUTIOUS. BE SMART. USE COMMON SENSE. LORD KNOWS I NEED TO BE AT CHURCH TO DO THE JOB I DO. BUT WE GOTTA BE SMART AND DON'T BE FOOLED BY SUNDAY'S MIDDAY WEATHER. IT COULD BE CLEAR, BUT BARELY. BARELY IF AT ALL ABOVE FREEZING. SUNDAY NIGHT WILL BE REALLY, REALLY COLD. CHILL FACTORS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. EIGHT, NINE TEMPERATURE IN THE TEENS. I APPLAUD SUPERINTENDENT MILES FOR CALLING OFF HISD MONDAY. I HAD DECIDED TO ALLOW CITY EMPLOYEES TO WORK AT HOME MONDAY. I CARE ABOUT MY CITY EMPLOYEES SAFETY AND ALSO IF THEIR CHILDREN AT HOME, I WANT THEM AT HOME. MONDAY COULD CLEAR OFF WITH A CLEAR SKY, BUT NOT THE TEMPERATURE FACT. MONDAY NIGHT MIGHT BE OUR COLDEST NIGHT. IT'LL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. WE WILL EVALUATE THINGS TUESDAY MORNING. OUR SHELTERS ARE SCHEDULED TO CLOSE MIDDAY TUESDAY, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY EXTEND THEM IF NECESSARY. I WILL EMPHASIZE ONE MORE TIME. NO ONE IS TURNED AWAY AT OUR WARMING SHELTERS. WE HOUSE ABOUT 1500. WE'VE ALWAYS HAD ADEQUATE. WE WOULD BUMP UP AGAINST THAT WITH 1400, BUT WE WILL NEVER TURN ANYONE AWAY. IF NOT, WE'LL CERTAINLY GO TO THE FAITH COMMUNITY FOR ASSISTANCE. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT COLLABORATION IS AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT. THE STATE, THE COUNTY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. AND I WANT TO THANK THE RED CROSS. THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING THAT WE'RE SEEING IN HOUSTON, WHICH WE'VE SEEN BEFORE. THE FAITH COMMUNITY, OUR FOUNDATIONS, THE RED CROSS, THE FOOD BANK WILL BE PROVIDING FOOD IN THESE WARMING CENTERS. AND THE IS ISLAMIC CENTER. I WANT TO THANK THEM. SO I'M SURE I'VE LEFT OFF SOMETHING, BUT I'M ASKING EVERYONE TO BE PREPARED. REMEMBER YOUR PLANTS PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY OUR SENIORS, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT ALL WEEK, BEEN VISITING SENIOR CITIZEN FACILITIES. THEN BARREL, WE FOUND OUT SOME OF THE MANAGEMENT JUST DISAPPEARED ON INDEPENDENCE HALL, ON AIRLINE SENIORS ON THE THIRD FLOOR. COULDN'T, COULDN'T USE AN ELEVATOR. THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. DURING MY ADMINISTRATION. AND I WANT EVERYONE, IF YOU SEE IT, CALL IT IN, CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR FAMILY, AND REMEMBER THOSE SPECIAL PETS, THEY CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. SO SPEAK OUT, CALL US, CALL THREE ONE ONE. AND IF YOU'RE IN AN EMERGENCY, 9 1 1 HPD AND HOUSTON FIRE IS GONNA BE SPREAD ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY. AND AS I'VE SAID, WE'VE GOT BACKUP IF NECESSARY. THANK YOU TO HARRIS COUNTY RESOURCES THERE. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THEIR CONSTABLES. WHAT'S ON DEMONSTRATION TODAY, LIKE PROBABLY NEVER BEFORE, IS THE PREPARATION BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE COOPERATION OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I WANT TO THANK THE MEDIA. I HOPE YOU REALLY SPREAD THE WORD PREPARATION AND CAUTION. IT WILL WORK. YOU'LL APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU DID THAT. I WANT TO CALL BRIAN MASON, THE DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY CENTER. I THINK THE BEST IN AMERICA TO LEAVE AND EMPHASIZE THE THINGS BRIAN, HIS EMPLOYEES. IF YOU DIDN'T NOTICE 'EM, I DID EARLIER TODAY. THE DISPATCHERS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON WORK IN THIS LARGE ROOM BEHIND US, BRINGING THEIR SLEEPING BAGS. THEY'RE, THEY'RE [00:15:01] HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL. BRIAN WILL BE SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR AT THIS CENTER. FIRST RESPONDERS INCLUDE ALL CITY EMPLOYEES DURING A MOMENT LIKE THIS. CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS, PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER TO GET OUT AND TREAT OUR ROADS, PARKS DEPARTMENT HELPS US RUN OUR WARMING CENTERS HEALTH DEPARTMENT. ANYWAY, I'M FIRED UP BECAUSE I'M SO PROUD AND I'M READY TO DISPLAY THE PREPARATION IN HOW WE CARE ABOUT HOUSTONIANS. BRIAN, WOULD YOU COME, UH, PLAY CLEANUP FOR ME? , YOU COVERED MOST THINGS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, SO JUST TO RE-EMPHASIZE A FEW THINGS, AS THE MAYOR SAID, UM, THIS IS GONNA BE A SERIOUS STORM, SO PLEASE EVERYBODY AT HOME, UH, TAKE CAUTION, MAKE SURE YOU'RE PREPARED AT HOME. UH, THE FORECAST IS A LITTLE TRICKY, WHERE EXACTLY THE FREEZING LINE'S GONNA SET UP, WHEN IT'S GONNA SET UP, WHO'S GONNA GET ICE, WHO'S NOT GONNA GET ICE. A LOT OF THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED AND IT'S A VERY DYNAMIC SITUATION. SO AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, PLEASE GET WHERE YOU NEED TO BE SATURDAY NIGHT. PLEASE PLAN ON BEING THERE FOR AT LEAST 48, MAYBE 72 HOURS. MAKE SURE YOU GET GROCERIES, MAKE SURE YOU'RE PREPARED TO STAY THERE FOR ONCE AGAIN, 48 TO 72 HOURS. UM, AS FAR AS THE COLD, WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO GET COLD. IT'S GOING TO GET VERY, VERY, VERY COLD. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT WE REMEMBER THE FOUR PS AS THE BEAR MENTIONED PEOPLE. UM, WE'RE OPENING 12 WARMING CENTERS STARTING, UH, SATURDAY AT FIVE PIPES. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU WRAP AND PREPARE YOUR PIPES. UM, I CAN USE MY, MY FAMILY, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, WE ARE GONNA DRAIN THE WATER FROM OUR HOUSE, RIGHT? IF I HAVE NO WATER IN MY PIPES, I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING FREEZING AND BREAKING. SO TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO BE EXTRA PREPARED, I RECOMMEND IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT, IT'S JUST A LOT SAFER AND A LOT, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE CERTAIN YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE AN ISSUE IF YOU KNOW HOW TO SHUT THE WATER OFF AT THE STREET, DRAIN THE WATER OUTTA YOUR HOUSE, UM, TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PIPE ISSUES. UH, A FEW OTHER THINGS. UM, FOR THE EOC, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT LEVEL THREE, WHICH MEANS ENHANCED AWARENESS FOR US. UH, WE'VE BEEN AT LEVEL THREE, UH, SINCE TUESDAY. UM, WE ARE GONNA MOVE TO WHAT WE CALL LEVEL TWO OR HIGH READINESS, HIGH PREPAREDNESS ON SATURDAY AT 5:00 PM WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF OUR PARTNERS. THE EOC WILL BE FULLED WITH A LOT OF OUR PARTNERS, UM, FROM CITY, STATE, AND COUNTY LEVELS TO SUPPORT US THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. UM, FOR MESSAGING, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE ALERT HOUSTON MESSAGING ON SATURDAY AT 5:00 PM IT'S OKAY. UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET, UH, ALERT HOUSTON MESSAGING, PLEASE TEXT ALERT HOUSTON ALL ONE WORD TO 8 8 8 7 7 7, AND YOU CAN ENROLL IN OUR ALERT HOUSTON MESSAGING AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEND YOU REAL TIME UPDATES. WE'LL ALSO BE POSTING THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON OUR WEBSITE. UM, ALSO, KEEP IN MIND, OUR WEBSITE NOW TRANSLATES INTO 14 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. SO IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO GET SOMETHING IN, UH, SOMETHING OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, WE HAVE SEVERAL OTHER LANGUAGES AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE. UM, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE ARE CO COORDINATING VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF OUR, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS, OUR COUNTY PARTNERS, AND OUR STATE PARTNERS, WHETHER THAT'S CHIEF KIDD AND AND T DM IN AUSTIN, WHETHER THAT'S TXDOT, WHETHER THAT'S DPS. UM, WE'RE WORKING VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS AND WE ARE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT. ONE LAST COMMENT ABOUT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM. WE GOT AN UPDATE FROM, UH, THE DIRECTOR AT THE AIRPORT. UM, THEY HAVE EQUIPMENT ON SITE. THEY'RE GONNA START PRE-TREATING THEIR ROADS TOMORROW. UM, AND THEY ALSO HAVE EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE AIRFIELD. UM, THEY HAVE A CONTRACTOR THAT DOES THAT FOR THEM, AND THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE AIRFIELD AT BOTH HOBBY AND BUSH. THAT AS ALWAYS, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR FLIGHTS, UM, ESPECIALLY ON SUNDAY AND GOING FURTHER OUT, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WITH YOUR CARRIERS TO GET SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF YOUR FLIGHT. AND THAT'S A BRIEF SUMMARY FROM OEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BRIAN. UH, RANDY CCA WITH PUBLIC WORK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M, I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT EVERYTHING THE MAYOR SAID HE IS COVERED IT REALLY WELL. I WILL HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, AS FAR AS ROADS ARE CONCERNED, WE BEGAN OUR PRE-TREATMENT ACTIVITIES TODAY. THOSE ARE GONNA CONTINUE REALLY ALL THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WE WILL RETREAT ROADS AGAIN TOMORROW. WE ARE EXPECTING SOME RAIN TO COME IN, AND SO THAT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO BE A LITTLE EXTRA VIGILANT AS WE TREAT THOSE ROADS. ONE THING WE'D CAUTION PEOPLE ON AS TEMPERATURES RISE, AND YOU MAY, UH, SEE A LITTLE BIT OF MELT OUT THERE, REMEMBER, WE'RE GONNA BE GOING THROUGH EXTENDED FREEZE CYCLES. SO BE AWARE OF THE FREEZE THAW REFREEZE CYCLES OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT GETS DIFFICULT WITH VISIBILITY ON THE ROADS AT NIGHTTIME AND OTHER, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE EVEN SOME SMALL GLAZING ON THE ROADS THAT COULD LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC CONDITIONS. THAT'S WHY WE ASK YOU TO STAY OFF THE ROADS. AS FAR AS WATER IS CONCERNED, A AND THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY. OVERWHELMINGLY, WHEN WE HAVE AN EVENT LIKE THIS, THE NUMBER ONE PLACE WE SEE WATER BREAKS IS AT YOUR OWN SPRINKLER SYSTEM. UH, THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO ABSOLUTELY RIGHT NOW IS [00:20:01] TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU SHUT THE WATER TO YOUR SPRINKLER SYSTEM OFF THAT YOU DRAIN THOSE PIPES, THE BACKFLOW PREVENTER AND SO FORTH. AND YOU MAKE SURE THAT IT'S WRAPPED UP REALLY WELL SO THAT YOU DON'T EXPERIENCE THAT. BUT OVERWHELMINGLY, EVERY TIME WE'VE HAD A FREEZE, THAT'S WHERE YOUR FIRST BREAK IS GOING TO OCCUR. REMEMBER, THOSE PIPES ARE ALREADY ABOVE THE GROUND, SOME OF 'EM FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY YOU EXPERIENCED THAT. WE RECOMMEND HIGHLY RECOMMEND PEOPLE NOT TO DRIP THEIR FAUCETS. UM, THE MAYOR'S REALLY COVERED THIS VERY WELL OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS OF HIS ADMINISTRATION. THE WATER SYSTEM IN HOUSTON IS NOT IN THE BEST SHAPE. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF INVESTMENT GOING INTO THAT INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT NOW, AND THAT MEANS THAT WE REALLY VERY CLOSELY PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE PRESSURES ARE GOING. IF EVERYONE DRIPS THEIR PRICE, THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE EXTRA DEMAND ON THAT SYSTEM. AND IT JUST MAKES US A LITTLE BIT MORE VULNERABLE SO THAT IF THERE IS SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC THAT HAPPENS, WHICH WE CERTAINLY HOPE THERE'S NOT, BUT IF THERE IS, WE'RE PREPARED TO ADDRESS IT, IT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO RESPOND. SO WE ASK YOU NOT TO DRIP THOSE FAUCETS. I KNOW THAT THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM MESSAGING YOU SEE ALL ACROSS THE STATE, UH, OTHER, OTHER STATES, OTHER CITIES. BUT IN HOUSTON, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. OUR SYSTEM'S A LITTLE BIT MORE FRAGILE, SO PLEASE DON'T DRIP THOSE PIPES. AS BRIAN MENTIONED, THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IF YOU WANT TO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WON'T HAVE A BROKEN PIPE IN YOUR HOUSE, SHUT THE WATER OFF TO THE HOME AND DRAIN YOUR PIPES FROM THERE. BUT MAYOR, THAT COVERS IT FOR PUBLIC WORKS. THANK YOU, UH, DR. TRAN TO SPEAK TO HEALTH CONCERNS OF OUR, UH, CLIENTS. THAT'LL BE IN THE WARMING CENTERS. DR. TRAN, UH, AN MD AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF HER BEING ON OUR TEAM. HI. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND HI EVERYBODY. UH, THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS DEPLOYED HUNDREDS OF ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL, PUBLIC HEALTH EMPLOYEES TO WORK THE, UM, WARMING CENTERS. SO WE ARE READY AND WE WILL BE OPEN TO REEMPHASIZE. UNDER THE DIRECTION AND SUPPORT OF MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER. WE ARE OPENING 12 WARMING CENTERS ACROSS THE CITY. THE MOST ACCURATE INFORMATION ON OPENING AND CLOSURES OF THE WARMING CENTERS WILL BE ON THE OEM WEBSITE OR THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT WEBSITE, WHICH IS HOUSTON HEALTH.ORG. UM, OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY TO THE PUBLIC AS ALWAYS, IS SAFETY AND WELLBEING. SO THAT WILL BE OUR GOAL. AND, UM, AS AN A PHYSICIAN, THAT IS MY MISSION AND MY PROMISE THAT UNDER MY SUPERVISION, WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT HOUSTONIANS ARE SAFE. AND, UM, WELL, FROM THE COLD. REMEMBER THAT AS HOUSTONIANS IN OUR CLIMATE, WE ARE NOT ACCLIMATIZED TO THE COLD. AND SO HYPOTHERMIA IS A LARGER CONCERN WITH A, UM, A SUDDEN COLD LIKE THIS. UM, SO PLEASE STAY WARM, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF, UH, THE HEALTH OFFICIALS, AND WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOU. OUR WARMING CENTERS ARE READY AND THEY'RE OPEN TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE. UH, 24 HOURS STARTING ON, UM, SATURDAY AT 5:00 PM THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR. UM, PUBLIC SAFETY IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. HPD HOUSTON FIRE, UH, EACH AND EVERY DAY, BUT PARTICULARLY DURING STRESSFUL TIMES LIKE THIS. CHIEF DIAZ, WILL YOU COME TALK ABOUT YOUR DEPLOYMENT OF, UH, HPD OFFICERS AND SURE. WHAT THE PUBLIC CAN DO TO HELP YOU. SURE. THANK YOU MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. UH, FIRST I WANNA THANK OUR MEDIA PARTNERS FOR GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATING DURING TIMES OF, UH, INCLEMENT WEATHER. SO I'D ASK ONE. THE FIRST THING IS, IF YOU HAVE TO BE OUT, SLOW DOWN, HAVE ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU, PERHAPS RIGHT NOW IS THE TIME TO PACK SOME SORT OF BLANKET, UH, SOME HEADGEAR, SOME GLOVES IN YOUR CAR. SHOULD YOU BE OUT AND YOU BREAK DOWN, KNOW THAT OUR TEAMS WILL BE OUT ALL, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK. SO UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU BREAK DOWN ON THE ROAD OR YOU HAVE A MINOR ACCIDENT, YOU SLIDE OFF THE ROAD, IT'LL TAKE US A LITTLE BIT AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GET TO YOU, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER CONDITION. SO I'D ASK YOU TO BE PATIENT. PLEASE DO NOT CALL 9 1 1 FOR A WEATHER UPDATE OR, UH, A ROAD CONDITION, RIGHT? SO, UH, BE SMART, HELP US HELP YOU AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSED. WE'RE READY. THE WARMING CENTERS WILL BE COVERED BY OUR POLICE STAFF AND THERE'LL BE A LOT OF STAFF COVERING OVERNIGHT. WE'RE NOT GONNA GO TO 12 HOUR SHIFTS JUST YET, BUT WE'RE FLUID AND WE WILL WORK AS THE INFORMATION COMES IN FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. SO WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED. WE'RE ALWAYS PREPARED. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THAT HAPPENS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ALL THE TIME IN THE HOUSTON AREA. SO MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, THE FIRES IS WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED. WE'RE READY TO GO. WE'VE CHECKED EVERY, EVERY FACILITY IS WORKING, EVERYTHING IS FUNCTIONING. SO WE'RE READY TO GO TO WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU CHIEF AND HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT PLAYS A VERY SPECIAL ROLE [00:25:01] DURING OUR STRESSFUL TIMES. AND CHIEF MUNOZ, THANK YOU. UH, COME GIVE US THE BEST, UH, ADVICE SOMEONE CAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. APPRECIATE YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU EVERYONE BEHIND ME AND ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. AS THERE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN PLANNING ALL WEEK WHEN WE STARTED GETTING VISIBILITY OF THIS AND, AND THANKS TO OEM AND BRIAN MASON, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, WE STARTED MONITORING OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR TEAMS. OUR COMMAND STAFF, ALONG WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, HAVE ALREADY BEEN WORKING TOGETHER, ENSURING THAT OUR STATIONS ARE READY TO GO, OUR VEHICLES ARE READY TO GO. ALONG WITH THAT SAID, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE FOCUS ON IS NOT ONLY BEING THERE FOR THE PUBLIC AND OUR RESIDENTS, BUT SAFETY AS WELL. EVERY YEAR THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE HAVE COMMON OXIDE DEATHS THAT CONTINUE THAT WE SEE. BUT THANKS TO ALL THE EDUCATION THAT WE'VE BEEN PUSHING, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT NUMBER GO DOWN. THEY, SIR, WHAT WE DO TELL PEOPLE IS PLEASE PAY ATTENTION WHERE YOU PLACE YOUR GENERATORS. IF YOU PLACE 'EM OUTSIDE, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLACE 'EM OUTSIDE, THREE TO FOUR FEET FROM THE WALL OF THE HOUSE, THE OUTSIDE EXTERIOR. 'CAUSE THE HOUSES DO HAVE VENTS. COMMON MONOXIDE CAN GET INTO THAT HOUSE. IF YOU'RE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO STAY WARM IN YOUR GARAGE, WE DISCOURAGE YOU TO PUT ON YOUR BARBECUE PITS TO LIGHT UP THE BARBECUE PIT. THAT'S A VERY COMMON SCENARIO THAT WE SEE THAT ALSO CAUSES IS A HIGH PROBABILITY FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING ALONG AS FIRE FATALITIES AND FIRES. ALONG WITH THAT, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE DO TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE OF IS HOW WE WORK TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS. IN THE EVENT THERE IS SOME ELECTRIC OUTAGE IN YOUR AREA AND YOU'RE COOKING ON AN ELECTRIC STOVE, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU TURN IT OFF BECAUSE IN THE EVENT THAT THE ELECTRICITY OR WHEN IT DOES COME ON, THAT WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE STOVE CAN'T CATCH FIRE IF YOU'RE AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. BUT ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE ALSO FOCUS ON AND THE MAYOR HAS MENTIONED COMPASSION. REMEMBER WHAT MY MENTIONED COMPASSION. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. ONE OF THE THINGS WE ENCOURAGE IS TO PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THOSE AROUND YOU, YOUR NEIGHBORS, THE ELDERLY. WE CONTINUOUSLY SEE THAT. GIVE 'EM A CALL. MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED. AND AGAIN, PLEASE, PLEASE, AS HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED, STAY OFF THE ROAD. WE'RE WORKING WITH HPD TDOT IN THE EVENT. WE DO HAVE THOSE AREAS, ACCIDENTS ON THE FREEWAYS WE'RE WORKING ON THERE. OUR FIREFIGHTERS WILL BE RESPONDING. WE'RE GONNA ADJUST OUR TIMES COME TUESDAY AND MONDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY TO ENSURE THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS COME IN AT NINE 30. SO THAT WAY WE'RE NOT DRIVING INTO ICY CONDITIONS. 'CAUSE THEIR SAFETY'S ALSO IMPORTANT. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU AND PLEASE, PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF. ANTICIPATING SOME QUESTIONS. LET ME GO AHEAD AND ASK A MOMENT. UH, MARIO, I KNOW THE ANXIETY IS ABOUT OUR ENERGY, OUR ELECTRICITY. I'VE ALREADY SAID I'M IMPRESSED THAT CENTERPOINT WOULD SEND THEIR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. I WOULD LIKE MR. SANTO TO COME FORWARD, EXPLAIN THEIR DEPLOYMENTS AND, UH, THEIR READINESS AT THIS TIME. MR. SANTO. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, FIRST I WANNA ASSURE YOU AND OUR COMMUNITIES AT, AT CENTER POINT, THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WE STARTED MONITORING THE STORM SINCE LAST WEEK. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT MONITORING THIS WEEK, WE TOOK VERY SPECIFIC ACTIONS. WE'VE BEEN MONITORING FOUR VARIABLES, WIND, TEMPERATURE, RAIN, AND LOCATION. AND A RESULT OF THAT, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT ICE AND THE ACCUMULATION OF ICE ON POWER LINES AND ON TREES AND THAT VEGETATION COMING IN CONTACT WITH OUR POWER LINES. TO THAT EFFECT, WE'VE MOBILIZED OVER 3,300 FRONTLINE WORKERS PRE-POSITION. WE'RE PRE-POSITIONING THEM, STARTING WITH THREE STAGING AREAS. WE'RE EVALUATING THAT CONSOLIDATION INTO TWO FOCUS IN THE NORTH WEST PART OF OUR SYSTEM. WE ACTIVATED OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. WE ARE READY AS THAT STORM PASSES, WE'RE ABLE TO THEN MOBILIZE AS SOON AS ROADS ARE SAFE TO DO SO. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS ON KEEPING ROADS ACCESSIBLE 'CAUSE WE NEED A PATH DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS AND BE ABLE TO THEN SAFELY RESTORE THAT POWER. WE'VE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF VEGETATION RELATED CREWS AS WE EXPECT VEGETATION TO COME DOWN AND BE IN CONTACT WITH, UM, OUR POWER LINES. SO TO THAT END, IF YOU SEE A DOWN POWER LINE, PLEASE ASSUME THAT IT IS ENERGIZED. DO NOT GO NEAR IT. DO NOT TOUCH IT. PLEASE CALL 7 1 3 2 0 7 2 2 2 2 [00:30:05] SO THAT WE CAN IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO THAT ISSUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. SANTO, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS RUNNING, I SAID AS WE GO ABOUT FIXING HOUSTON, IT'S GONNA BE THE COLLABORATION THAT GETS IT DONE. ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIPS EXPERIENCE. SO OBVIOUSLY I'M PLEASED TO SEE CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN HERE. I RESPECT HIS PUBLIC SERVICE. I RESPECT HIM BEING A HOUSTONIAN, SOMEONE THAT I'VE WORKED WITH AS A SENATOR FOR MANY YEARS. UH, CONGRESSMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, COMMENT ON THE STATUS OF, UH, WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES? THANK YOU VERY MUCH MAYOR AND I THANK YOUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR THE OUTSTANDING JOB THAT THEY ARE DOING AND THE JOB THAT THEY WILL DO. UH, THE MAYOR AND I STARTED COLLABORATING EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN I WAS APPOINTED TO HOMELAND SECURITY. UH, AND I HAVE ASSURED HIM, AND I ASSURE YOU THAT HE AND I WILL WORK TOGETHER. HE IS IMMINENTLY CORRECT. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN PLAY A ROLE. WE ARE NOT ACTIVATED RIGHT NOW, BUT FEMA COMES UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. AND IF EVER THERE'S A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEN I WILL BE HERE TO HELP THE MAYOR GET THAT DONE. FINALLY, LET ME SAY TO THE MAYOR, I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRESENTATION, UM, BY WAY OF TELEPHONE AS I WAS COMING OVER AND PRIOR TO THAT, I HEARD THE CITY OF HOUSTON GIVE ITS REPRESENTATIONS. UH, MAYOR, I BELIEVE THAT YOU'VE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB. I BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE READY TO HELP AND ASSIST, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IF YOU NEED MORE HELP, I WILL BE HERE WITH YOU. UH, MY NUMBER IS 7 1 3 3 8 3 9 2 3 4 7 1 3 3 8 3 9 2 3 4. AND WE WILL BE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY AT THAT NUMBER. I'M ASSIGNING STAFFERS TO, UH, BE THERE SO THAT WE CAN ANSWER PHONE CALLS IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY. THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT AND I'M PROUD TO BE ON THE TEAM WITH THE MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU CONGRESSMAN. UH, LET ME ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I CAN'T IMAGINE THERE BEING ANY MAYOR. VERY ALL. WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING, MARIO. THANK YOU. YEAH, YOU'VE COVERED A LOT. BUT I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE COLLABORATION YOU JUST MENTIONED. SURE. YOU SHOW THE COLLABORATION ON THE PUBLIC SIDE, THE PUBLIC SECTOR. SURE. WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THE RESTAURANTS? ARE YOU TELLING HOUSTON TO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY EFFECTIVE SAFETY? NO, I DIDN'T. THAT NEVER CAME OUTTA MY WORDS. I'VE SAID PREPARATION AND CAUTION. I HOPE THAT WOULD BE THE CLICKBAIT THAT SOME OF MY FRIENDS WOULD LIKE TO USE. BUT AS YOU STRESS, SAFETY, I SAID WE WOULD ASK PEOPLE TO BE IN PLACE AT MIDNIGHT TOMORROW, SATURDAY. I ALSO PROBABLY LEFT OUT THAT I WILL GIVE AN UPDATE SUNDAY MORNING AT NINE O'CLOCK. THIS IS A VERY FLUID SITUATION. I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO GO TO CHURCH ATTEND SUNDAY. I WOULD LIKE TO, I'D NEED TO, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A DECISION THAT INDIVIDUALS MAKE. THE CITY WILL GIVE OUR BEST ADVICE IN COUNCIL. BUT NO, I'M NOT ASKING BUSINESSES CLOSE DOWN. I'M ASKING THEIR PATRONS TO USE THEIR GOOD JUDGMENT, THEIR COMMON SENSE. LOOK OUT FOR YOUR FAMILY, LOOK OUT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS. I KNOW WHERE I WILL BE. WELL, FIRST I'LL BE RIDING WITH THE CHIEF AND THE HEALTH DIRECTOR TO WARMING CENTERS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT I HAVE EYES ON OUR OPERATION. BUT HOUSTONIANS NEED TO BE IN PLACE AT MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT BECAUSE IN THE EARLY MORNINGS OF SUNDAY, THE BLAST WILL BE FULL FORCE HERE WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS. WIND CHILL, SINGLE DIGIT PETS, PLANTS, PIPES, SENIORS, EVERYBODY LOOK OUT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS. I WANT YOU TO BE CAREFUL, MARIO. I APPRECIATE THAT. MAYOR. MAYOR YOU SAID YOU HAVE ELIZABETH, THERE'S A COUPLE OF YOU I I'M NOT GONNA SEE. CAN YOU CLARIFY, MAYOR, HOW I SEE ELIZABETH THERE? CAN YOU CLARIFY HOW METRO'S GONNA BE OPERATING THIS WEEKEND AS WELL? YEAH. IS IT GOING TO BE STILL RUNNING AS USUAL, I'M GONNA LET, UM, THE CHAIR PERSON THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF, UH, THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, UH, MS. BROCK, WOULD YOU REPORT METRO'S PARTICIPATION? ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. UM, OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS SAFETY. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE SAFETY OF OUR, UH, RIDERS AND THE SAFETY OF OUR OPERATORS REMAIN, UH, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. NOW THAT BEING SAID, THAT THE PLAN IS AS OF SATURDAY, WE WILL SUSPEND SERVICE EARLY AT 9:00 PM [00:35:01] FOR, UH, REGULAR SERVICE. NOW THE RAIL WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS NORMAL. UH, ON SUNDAY, HOWEVER, UH, ALL SERVICE HAS BEEN CANCELED EXCEPT FOR, UH, METRO LIFT. WE WILL PICK, UH, SOMEONE UP IN THE, IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. AND ALSO, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CONDITIONS. SO IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, WE WILL, UH, CONTINUE TO MONITOR, UH, METRO LIFT. NOW ON MONDAY, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER REGULAR UPDATE ON, UH, HOW SERVICES WILL CONTINUE DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER. AND WHEN YOU, YOU SAID RAIL WILL WILL SHUT DOWN ON SUNDAY. IS THERE SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME WITH ELIZABETH? NO. RAIL WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON SUNDAY. RAIL IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION, UH, TO OUR SERVICE. MAYOR, YOU SAID THAT THERE WILL BE THANK YOU. NINE FORMING CENTERS WITH GENERATORS. YEAH. EARLIER IN THE WEEK IT SOUNDED LIKE BRIAN MASON INDICATED THAT THE EIGHT CENTERS WITHOUT PERMANENT GENERATORS WOULD HAVE MOBILE GENERATORS. SO WHY WE, WE'VE GEARED UP, WE HAVE FOUR IN PLACE PERMANENTLY, AS YOU KNOW, YOU'VE TRIED TO REPORT THAT WE HAD ZERO WHEN I GOT HERE. UH, IT'S A HIGH PRIORITY. ANGELA BLANCHARD, WHO WAS A RESILIENCY OFFICER, GOT BUSY AND ACTUALLY WE GOT RECOVERY FUNDING TO PUT OVER 150 AT OUR STRATEGIC LOCATION. I FOUND OUT AFTER I BECAME MAYOR, WE HAD FIRE AND POLICE STATIONS WITHOUT GENERATORS. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY THAT HASN'T BEEN REPORTED. AND SOMEONE HOLD ACCOUNTABLE. WE WERE SENDING PEOPLE TO THE WARMING CENTERS WHEN WE HAD NO ENERGY. THE HUG ON CASHMERE THAT HAS GOTTEN SO MUCH NOTORIETY HAD NO GENERATOR. IT DOES TODAY. SO WE HAVE FOUR PERMANENT WORKING WITH CENTER POINT. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO INSTALL NINE LOCATIONS AND THE OTHER THREE ARE HIGH PRIORITIES. SO THERE ARE THREE THAT WON'T HAVE GENERATORS THIS WEEKEND, SIR. SO THERE ARE THREE THAT WON'T HAVE GENERATORS THIS WEEKEND. THERE'LL BE THREE THAT WON'T, BUT WE MONITOR THEM VERY CAREFULLY AND, UH, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THE RESIDENTS. WHAT'S THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF ALL 12? ABOUT 1500. AND THEN THE CAPACITY. BUT, BUT LET ME EMPHASIZE BEFORE YOU PUT A CAP ON IT. THERE IS NO CAP. WE DON'T TURN ANYONE AWAY. AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THREE OF THEM GO OFFLINE BECAUSE OF POWER? , WE ARE VERY CAPABLE OF ADAPTING TO SITUATIONS. YOU SEE THESE PEOPLE BACK HERE COLLECTIVELY, THEY GET THINGS DONE AND IT'S AMAZING. AS MUCH AS I'VE BEEN SO THOROUGH ABOUT OUR PREPARATION AND THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF EVERY HOUSTONIAN, WHY YOU WANNA START OFF NEGATIVE FOLKS? ANY OTHER QUESTION? YES, MAYOR, THERE'S SEVERAL EXISTING WATER LEAKS HAPPENING ACROSS THE CITY RIGHT NOW. SOME OF THEM IN HEAVILY TRAFFICKED AREAS LIKE CHIMNEY, ROCK AND WESTHEIMER RIGHT NOW. SURE. HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THOSE? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN IT STARTS TO FREEZE? WELL, WHEN I'M TRAVELING ACROSS HOUSTON ON THE WEEKENDS BY MYSELF, UH, RANDY CAN TELL MY DIRECTION WHERE I'VE LEFT, LEAVING MY HOUSE, MIGHT BE GOING TO, MY GRANDKIDS MIGHT BE GOING TO EAT. HE KNOWS WHERE MY TRAIL IS 'CAUSE I'M CALLING THEM IN AND REPORTING THEM. THEY GET IMMEDIATE ATTENTION DURING THESE EXTREME WEATHER CIRCUMSTANCES. I'D LIKE RANDY TO ADDRESS IT BECAUSE HE'S THE BEST. YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. YOU KNOW, ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE HAD ACTIVE LEAKS IN THE AMOUNT OF MORE THAN 1900 AT ONE GIVEN TIME. UH, RIGHT NOW TODAY WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSED ON ABOUT 500 FAR MORE THAN WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, BUT WE ARE AWARE OF HIGH VISIBILITY, HIGH PROFILE ONES, ONES IN MAJOR INTERSECTIONS, MAJOR CORRIDORS. WE'RE WORKING EXPEDITIOUSLY TO TRY AND GET THOSE THROUGH. UM, THAT'S A COMBINATION OF WORK BETWEEN CITY CREWS AND CONTRACT CREWS. WE HAVE ADDITIONAL CONTRACT CREWS THAT ARE STANDING BY IF THERE IS A MORE CATASTROPHIC BREAK THAT TAKES PLACE DURING THE FREEZE. BUT YOU KNOW, WATER LEAKS IS YET ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY OFF THE ROADS, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE LOW VISIBILITY TIMES BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. SOME OF THOSE LEAKS AREN'T ACTUALLY AS VISIBLE EVEN DURING THE DAYTIME. YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A VERY SLOW TRICKLE, BUT THAT SLOW TRICKLE IS GOING TO ULTIMATELY FREEZE WITH THE TEMPERATURES THAT THAT WE'RE HAVING. SO WE'RE WORKING TO EXPEDITIOUSLY GET AS MANY OF THOSE DONE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN RIGHT NOW. UM, OF COURSE OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE NO BREAKS ACROSS THE CITY. THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LONGER LEAD TIME AND A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY. BUT WE'VE GOT GREAT PLANS IN PLACE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. UM, WE ALWAYS TELL FOLKS THOUGH, IF YOU HAVE A BREAK AND IT'S A SIGNIFICANT ONE ESPECIALLY AND IT GETS ANY WORSE, CALL 3 1 1. LET US KNOW. UH, CONTACT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTLY. YOU CAN ALWAYS LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE FOR CONTACT INFORMATION TO REACH OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY, INCLUDING SENDING EMAILS. UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF 'EM AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. [00:40:01] THANK YOU. YOU MENTIONED THE COLLABORATION THAT THERE IS HERE. THE CONGRESSMAN IS HERE. WAS THE COUNTY JUDGE INVITED TO THIS PRESS CONFERENCE? WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HER OFFICE. WAS SHE INVITED TO THIS? I SAID WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HER OFFICE. ANYONE, ANYONE'S WELCOME TO MY PRESS CONFERENCE. EVEN YOU MAYOR, YOU HAVE CENTER POINT HERE AND OBVIOUSLY SET POINT HELPS PROVIDE THE ENERGY, BUT THERE'S BEEN CONCERNS OBVIOUSLY IN THE PAST BECAUSE OF THE GRID. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM AUSTIN? I MEAN, YOU'VE BEEN ESTABLISHED IT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. MR. SANTO CAN GIVE EXCELLENT INFORMATION. MY CONTACTS WITH ERCOT AND STATE OFFICIALS IS THERE SUFFICIENT ENERGY. IT'S THE TRANSMISSION THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ANXIOUS ABOUT. I NAMED THE NUMBER OF COUNTIES THAT HAVE BEEN DECLARED DISASTERS. THEY'RE ALL NORTH OF US. THERE'D BE HEAVY, ICY CONDITIONS. SO WE WORRIED ABOUT LIMBS, TREES, POWER LINES DOWN THAT WOULD INTERFERE OR INTERRUPT WITH OURS. THAT'S THE NEAT THING ABOUT CENTER POINT PREPOSITIONING PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES HERE AT OUR LOCATION. SO IF THERE'S AN INTERRUPTION, IT'LL GET IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. MR. SO SOTO, IS THERE ANYTHING I LEFT OFF SIR? SEE, HE KNOWS I COVER EVERYTHING AND, AND I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP SO THAT THE MAYOR, UH, EARLY ON INDICATED THAT HE'S CONCERNED THAT THERE COULD BE A BRANCH THAT FALLS IN ANOTHER LOCATION WITHIN THE STATE. MM-HMM . THAT COULD IMPACT THE TRANSFORMATION TRANSMISSION LINE PROVIDING ENERGY TO THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. HOW VIABLE IS THAT A POTENTIAL THREAT? UH, IS IT REALITY? OBVIOUSLY, UH, IT IS A REALITY. UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THIS METRO AREA IS FED FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES. UH, SO WE HAVE POWER THAT COMES IN FROM MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS AND NOT DEPENDENT ON ONE SINGLE PATH, UH, THAT FEEDS THIS UH, METRO AREA. THANK YOU MAYOR. EARLIER TODAY YOU SAID FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO GO TO THE WARNING CENTERS, THEY'LL BE PROVIDED A SLEEPING NEVADA WITHOUT A BLANKET. SURE. YOUR ADMINISTRATION HAS TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGE TO STATE LAW S SP 1116. WHEN DID WE, WHEN DID WE TALK ABOUT IT? MIKE NICHOLS HAS TALKED ABOUT IT. I KNOW. SO I'M CURIOUS WHY THAT POWER OF WON. WE USE THE ABILITY BECAUSE WE'RE COMPASSIONATE. YEAH. WE WORK WITH 'EM IN PLACE. WE TRY TO GET THEM OUT FROM UNDERNEATH BRIDGES, BUT WE RESPECT THEIR PRIVACY, WE RESPECT THEIR CONDITIONS. HUGE AMOUNT OF IT IS MENTAL HEALTH. IT MAY NOT BE THE TIME TO INTERFERE. MANY MENTAL HEALTH, HOMELESS ARE SO EMOTIONAL THAT THEY DO NOT REALIZE HOW MISERABLE THEY ARE. WE RESPECT THAT. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TEAMS, PROFESSIONAL TEAMS THAT GO OUT EACH AND EVERY DAY. THEY ACTUALLY KNOW SOME OF THE HBD OFFICERS ACTUALLY KNOW SOME OF THE HOMELESS LIVING UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE. THAT'S THE REASON I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE EMANCIPATION SITE WILL BE OPENING. ADDITIONAL SHELTERS WILL BE OPENING. SO YES, UH, WE FILE A STATE LAW, BUT WE USE COMMON SENSE. I USE MY EXPERIENCE JUDGMENT. I DID SPEND 50 YEARS IN AUSTIN, 10 YEARS IN THE HOUSE, 40 IN THE SENATE. SO I KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS. I RUN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH THIS GREAT TEAM AND WE'RE GONNA USE COMPASSION, JUDGMENT, AND SMARTS TO DEAL WITH THOSE THAT JUST DON'T WANNA GO TO THE SHELTER. I BEGGED THE HOMELESS LADY AT RICHMOND AND SHEPHERD LAST YEAR AT TWO IN THE MORNING. PLEASE GO WITH US. IN THE PAST THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR PETS. WE'VE OPENED OUR DOORS TO THEIR PETS, THOSE HOUSTONIANS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT. SO LET ME JUST ASSURE YOU IF IT WILL HELP. ALL BOXES HAVE BEEN CHECKED. HOUSTON'S NEVER BEEN PREPARED. VERY COMPASSIONATE. I'VE GOT THE BEST TEAM IN AMERICA AND IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT WE GO TO WORK. I DO WANT TO BRING ON MS. CAMPOS FOR OUR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING. SPANISH SPEAKING FIRST RESIDENTS, LET ME EMPHASIZE, EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO OUR WARMING CENTERS. WE'RE NOT ASKING ANYONE THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS, NOT A PART OF THIS OPERATION. WE'RE COMPASSIONATE. IF YOU'RE IN HOUSTON, WE WELCOME YOU TO OUR WARMING CENTERS. YOU CAN ACTUALLY CALL US AND GET A RIDE. WE HAVE LANGUAGE SKILLED CASEWORKERS HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I DIDN'T ASK DR. TRAN TO GIVE HER REPORT IN SPANISH. SHE'S FLUENT AND QUITE FRANKLY, SHE'S FLUENT IN VIETNAMESE. WE ARE A FULL SERVICE CITY AND I AM DARN PROUD OF EVERYONE INVOLVED. UH, MS. CAMPOS, YOU GOT A BIG JOB TO TRY TO DESCRIBE EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE MENTIONED TODAY. BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OF COURSE, MAYOR [00:45:26] EM HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. E THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR FAIRNESS IN BEING HERE. YOU PLAY SUCH A CRITICAL ROLE HELPING ME REPRESENT HOUSTON TO OUR TRANSLATOR. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU TO MY MY TEAM. UH, I WOULDN'T BEGIN TO START CALLING YOU OUT INDIVIDUALLY. YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU. YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE YOU'RE THE BEST. MARY. THANK YOU FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MY CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, MS. WILSON. UH, WE'RE READY TO GO TO WORK. SO THANK Y'ALL. YOU BE SAFE, UH, WHILE WE GO TO WORK. BE SAFE. GREAT JOB. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.