District E Residents,

I hope that everyone is safe as we begin the recovery process following the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. I am urging those who do not need to be on the roads to please stay put as crews continue to clear any roadways and downed lines. By staying off the roads, first responders and repair crews are better able to reach emergencies, remove debris, and restore power as quickly as possible.

I want to first provide a HUGE thank you to our Houston Police Officers, Firefighters, and Public Works employees for their long shifts, efforts, and response to the needs of our city during and following Hurricane Beryl.

The professionalism and true grit of all our City's first responders, Houston Public Works employees and Solid Waste Management employees is unparalleled and I am thankful for their commitment to our residents. Many if not all of their own homes, families, and stations were impacted by the loss of power too.

CenterPoint’s system has experienced significant damage. There are approximately 1.7 million customers in the Houston region still without power. Approximately 760,000 of these customers are within Houston city limits. CenterPoint has restored 100,000 customers in Houston since last night. With nearly 12,000 field resources/technicians working in the area, CenterPoint is estimating power to be restored to at least one million regional customers by the end of tomorrow, Wednesday, July 10. 

Stay at least 35 feet away from any downed power lines and immediately report them to 911 or CenterPoint Energy at 713-207-2222.

If you are aware of family or neighbors on dialysis or need power for medical assistance, call 911 or contact our office so we can assist. Please also make sure they registered with State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR). 

If you smell gas in your home, please evacuate immediately and report to CenterPoint at 713-659-2111.

First responders, city departments, and TxDOT are in the field assessing damage, addressing live wires, and clearing debris. Of the city’s 2,500 traffic signals, Houston Public Works (HPW), Houston Police Department (HPD), and TxDOT are working to make repairs to the approximately 1,000 that remain completely out or flashing red. 

HPD is running on full-mobilization, meaning every officer able to work is working either a 12-hour day or 12-hour night shift. All stations are running properly or on generator power. There have not been any delays in calls for service or extended wait times for priority 1 or 2 calls.

Houston Fire Department (HFD) ran 3,000 calls in their last shift and have already hit 1,000 today. Nine HFD stations are without power and those crews have been relocated. There have not been any delays in calls for service.

If any residents do not already receive Alert Houston updates, I encourage you all to take a moment right now, and go sign up online at the link provided. These updates are extremely helpful before, during and after emergency events.

I know most residents are working diligently on their homes and businesses today, cleaning up storm debris. If you have storm debris that needs pick up, please report it to Houston 3-1-1 to be picked up by calling (713) - 837 - 0311. After you call in your storm debris for pick up, please follow up by emailing districte@houstontx.gov with your service request number and address.

My office will not be issuing a July Monthly Newsletter and will resume our monthly newsletter in August.

Stay safe,

Fred Flickinger

Residents with storm debris should place debris between the sidewalk and the street, or it will not be collected. Please report your storm debris to Houston 311 (713-837-0311). If you have trouble reporting your storm debris to 311 please email our office (districte@houstontx.gov) and we will make sure it gets reported.

If you don't have a sidewalk, ditch, or utility line in front of your home, place debris at the edge of your property before the curb. Do not stack or lean debris on trees, fire hydrants, or other structures.

Please remember to separate your debris into the following six categories:

Normal Household Trash:

• Normal household trash and bagged debris of any kind will not be picked up as part of this program. Continue to follow your normal garbage removal schedule.

Vegetative Debris:

• leaves (not in bags), logs, plants & tree branches

Construction & Demolition Debris:

• building materials, carpet, drywall, furniture, lumber, mattresses, and plumbing

Appliances & White Goods:

• air conditioners, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, etc.

Electronics:

• computers, radios, televisions, and other devices with cords

Household Hazardous waste

• cleaning supplies, batteries, lawn chemicals, oils, paints & stains, and pesticides

It is very important if your home was damaged in this storm event, report it to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

Property damage reports help officials determine eligibility for disaster assistance and identify resource needs.

Fill out the survey online: damage.tdem.texas.gov

Reporting damages to the Texas Division of Emergency Management is voluntary and not a substitute for reporting damage to your insurance agency.



Here are some general insurance recovery resources.

Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) Reporting Claims:

• Online: Use the Policyholder Portal
• Chat: Use the 24-hour chat option on the claims webpage
• Text: Text "Hello" to (512) 645-2846
• Call: Call (800) 788-8247, select option 1

TWIA Claim Reporting Checklist

The City of Houston's Solid Waste Management Department (SWM) announces additional service interruptions for this week. Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl’s high winds and rain across the City, SWM will operate a modified collection schedule for the remainder of the week. 

For additional information, download the HTX Collects mobile application or contact the 3-1-1 call center. Residents can also use the 3-1-1 online portal at houstontx.gov/311 to report any storm-related concerns. Please see the collection schedule changes below:

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Monday’s garbage and heavy tree waste will be collected. Storm debris collections will resume. All six Neighborhood Depositories will reopen, but all other facilities will remain closed. Recycling and yard waste services will be suspended for the remainder of the week and will be collected on your next regularly scheduled collection day.

Additionally, SWM will conduct city-wide damage assessments from Hurricane Beryl. 

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Tuesday’s garbage, heavy tree waste, and storm debris will be collected. All SWM facilities will reopen.

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Thursday’s garbage, heavy tree waste, and storm debris will be collected. 

Friday, July 12, 2024

Friday’s garbage, heavy tree waste, and storm debris will be collected.

Saturday, July 13, 2024

Heavy tree waste and storm debris operations will continue.