Texas had a real-life lesson in evacuation and emergency management when Hurricane Harvey hit the coast and headed east, dumping massive amounts of rain across Southeast Texas.
People who filled some of the key roles during the disaster will meet at the University of Houston Tuesday, Oct. 17, to discuss how policies, including those guiding coordination between local, state and federal officials, played out during the storm and its aftermath. The discussion will be the first in a new symposium series sponsored by the Hobby School of Public Affairs.
The symposium series provides a platform for the community, business leaders and public officials to discuss key public policy topics, as well as to spur innovative thinking about public policy. Hobby researchers published a white paper on issues related to coastal surge in late 2016. It is available here.
The discussion starts at 5:30 p.m. on the Club Level of TDECU Stadium. State Rep. Garnet Coleman will speak, with panelists Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Department of Emergency Management; Francisco Sanchez, liaison and public information officer for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management; Thomas Lambert, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County; and Eric Berger, a certified meteorologist and popular weather blogger at Space City Weather.
“Harvey provided an opportunity to see how well local, regional and state policies worked in the face of a major emergency, as well as how well governments and nonprofits responded after the fact,” said Jim Granato, executive director of the Hobby School. “The symposium will be a chance to debrief and discuss how to be better prepared the next time.”
The symposium is free and open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, click here.
WHAT: “Emergency Management & Evacuation,” part of the Hobby Symposium Series.
WHO: Speakers include state Rep. Garnet Coleman, Nim Kidd, Texas Department of Emergency
Management; Francisco Sanchez, Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency
Management; Thomas Lambert, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, and Eric
Berger, meteorologist and blogger at Space City Weather.
WHERE: TDECU Stadium, Club level. Parking available in Stadium Visitor Parking Garage, 3874
Holman St., Houston, TX 77004
WHEN: Registration begins at 5 p.m. Symposium is 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by a reception.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jeannie Kever, 713-743-0778, m – 713-504-3769, jekever@uh.edu.