Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Storm Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pearland incident commander says winter-storm response succeeded; staff credited for preparedness
Summary
Captain Navarro told the council that pre-storm preparations, staffing and infrastructure investments allowed Pearland to monitor Winter Storm "Fern" with minimal disruption and that the city remained open after weighing safety, service, weather data and field observations.
Captain Navarro, the city ppointed incident commander for Winter Storm Fern, told the City Council on Jan. 26 that city officials began formal preparations Wednesday and staged personnel and contractors to secure utilities and critical facilities.
Navarro said he assembled an incident management team based on staff expertise, winterized public works and utility systems, verified generators and fuels at city facilities and coordinated twice-daily weather briefings with a policy group. He said staff staged barricades on Magnolia, Bailey and McCard and demobilized Sunday at 6 p.m. "The investments have paid off," Navarro said, adding that the preparations allowed the city to remain open after evaluating "safety, service, weather data, and field observations."
Mayor Pro Tem Byrom and other council members praised Navarro and department staff for exercising emergency-response plans and credited recent investments in infrastructure and emergency management with avoiding more serious impacts. The mayor noted the city had pre-drafted a declaration that was signed Friday morning and said contractors were on standby to restore fuel, electrical and plumbing services if needed.
The presentation did not result in council action; Navarro invited follow-up questions and directed residents with concerns to city leadership for additional information.
