Houston officials outline emergency alerting, drainage and post‑storm resources at District B forum

Councilwoman Tarsha Jackson hosted a District B preparedness forum at Tidwell Park where city agencies, CenterPoint Energy and local nonprofits laid out how residents can sign up for alerts, report drainage problems and get emergency supplies.

The forum’s moderator, Thomasina Burns, opened by saying the event aimed to give residents “practical information about emergency alerts, evacuation planning, sheltering options, drainage and flooding concerns, debris removal, utility restoration, and the resources available to help families recover after a disaster.”

Mel Bartis, assistant director of the Houston Office of Emergency Management, said the city’s primary opt‑in system is Alert Houston and demonstrated how to enroll: “Text AlertHouston — all one word — to 888777,” she said. Bartis also urged residents who may need extra assistance during an incident to register with the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEER) via 211 so they can receive tailored messaging and, under certain conditions, wellness checks.

City engineers described short‑ and long‑term drainage work. Uttam Burtell, supervising engineer with Houston Public Works’ stormwater engineering group, said short‑term programs such as SWAT and LDP address problems within months, while larger issues are referred to the Capital Improvement Program for engineered solutions. Burtell advised residents to report local problems through 311 and to use the GeoLink/CIP mapping tool to track projects.

CenterPoint Energy’s emergency response manager, Jordan Blake, outlined infrastructure and operational steps the utility has taken to reduce outage minutes, including the installation of more than 65,000 stronger poles, plans for roughly 35,000 additional poles in 2026, and deployment of self‑healing devices on lines. Blake said CenterPoint also trains personnel in FEMA’s Incident Command System ("we've trained more than 750 members of CenterPoint with FEMA ICS training") and offers an outage tracker and power alerts service for customers.

Public safety guidance was emphasized: Senior Captain Reyes, public information officer for the Houston Fire Department, warned about carbon monoxide from generators and propane devices, advising residents not to run generators in enclosed spaces and to keep portable generators at least 20 feet from doors or windows.

Nonprofit partners described resource distribution. Nancy Clifford of the Houston Tool Bank said her organization stocks generators, dehumidifiers, AC units, muck‑out kits and PPE for free distribution to partner groups and council office efforts. Sierra McClain of We Got Us urged families with infants to plan for a week’s supply of diapers, wipes and formula and offered a family disaster checklist at the group’s table.

Solid Waste Management outlined post‑storm cleanup plans that prioritize roadways for first responder access, use rapid assessment teams and increase contractor standby capacity. Officials asked residents to submit detailed 311 reports (location, photos, contact information) so crews can prioritize and route resources effectively.

Councilwoman Jackson closed the forum reiterating preparedness steps and encouraging signups for the District B newsletter. She told residents the district reestablishment program is included in the current budget, saying it is "$50,000,000 approximately" and is being carried in the budget without requiring an amendment.

The forum included agency tables where attendees could sign up for alerts, ask follow‑up questions and pick up emergency‑supply information. Agencies asked residents to report infrastructure problems to 311, to sign up for alerts and to join neighborhood support networks so help can be prioritized quickly during incidents.