The building took on 3 feet of water during flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in late August. The annex houses the headquarters for the Precinct 4 constable’s office, the District 1 substation for the Harris County sheriff’s office, the offices of Justice of the Peace Lincoln Goodwin and offices for several other county departments, including the tax collector.
While repairs are underway, the constable's office is operating out of space provided by Faithbridge Church on Stuebner Airline Road, and its dispatch center is temporarily located at the Klein ISD Police Department dispatch center, Herman said.
Herman was one of three officials who spoke at Thursday’s monthly Public Safety forum hosted by the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce. HCSO District 1 Capt. Jay Coons and Norm Uhl, public information officer for Cypress Creek Emergency Medical Services, also discussed emergency response during and after the storm.
Uhl said CCEMS received about 12,000 calls over a four-day period for over 4,000 incidents during Harvey.
HCSO performed between 3,000 and 3,500 rescues during the storm, Coons said. The sheriff's and constable's offices lost several 5-ton trucks deployed during rescue operations due to water damage or mechanical failure.The departments have not experienced any disruption of services as a result of the storm but relocated and prioritized activities during the emergency, the two department heads said.
Library damage, debris cleanup
Several other county agencies also announced flood-related updates today.
Barbara Bush Branch Library, which closed due to damage from 2 feet of water in the building, sustained $2 million in damage to flooring, computers, furniture and books, according to a press release from the library.
The children’s book collection is one of the main areas damaged, according to a statement released by the library on Thursday. Donations to the library can be made through the Barbara Bush Library Friends organization.
In related news, the Harris County Engineering Department urged residents not to create debris stockpile sites in neighborhood centers, such as parking lots and medians. Residents of unincorporated parts of Harris County should wait for county haulers to remove debris from right of ways, according to a press release from the HCED. Improper debris dumping can create fire and health hazards and will not be hauled away by county contractors, according to the release.
Residents can call the Harris County Residential Debris and Damage Assessment Hotline at 713-274-3880 or email [email protected] for additional information about debris removal.
Residents can direct questions about unauthorized dumpsites to the Harris County Pollution Control Services Department at 713-920-2831.
