Houston has begun installing at least 14 generators at public facilities across the city.
Scott Turner, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, visited the Acres Home Multi-Service Center on June 29, where officials unveiled a newly installed generator as part of the city's Power Protection Initiative.
What this means
Using disaster recovery funding from the 2024 Derecho and Hurricane Beryl, the city will spend $101 million of the $314 million received to install generators in police stations, fire stations, libraries, wastewater, water and animal control facilities across the city.
The city plans to install generators at 65 facilities, with 14 currently completed or underway.
According to officials
Mayor John Whitmire said he learned that Houston fire stations did not have generators during the derecho.
“[First responders] couldn’t get the door open at the fire station,” Whitmire said. “So that became a huge priority.”
Turner, who visited when the city first announced the initiative, said the funding is to be used in preparation for the next storm.
“This generator is a mark of the success of our cooperation in working together,” he said. “We’re grateful to be able to partner with [the city] to be able to execute on this mission.”
City officials said the $314 million will also be used for emergency response, vegetation management, debris removal and homeless services. About $100 million of the funding will also go toward home repairs.
“Natural disasters are inevitable; they happen,” Turner said. “But we will be prepared to face those storms as they come.”
One more thing
Officials also noted that some of the money going toward the generators will be philanthropic. The 14 out of 65 planned facilities can expect to have generators installed by May 2027. However, it is unclear when the remaining 51 generators will be installed, and officials said the number could fluctuate.
