Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts by City and County Officials
Fire Department personnel to travel to Houston, Texas, assist with search and rescue
On Thursday, August 24, 2017, more than 30 inches of rain fell over Houston, Texas – the fourth largest city in the United States. By Friday night, Hurricane Harvey made landfall. Since that time, more than 5,500 residents have been displaced as a result of severe flooding with an additional 93,000 residents being left without electricity. Just today, levees at Columbia Lakes in Brazoria County have been breached.
Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. Forecasters predict more rain is on its way and federal officials are estimating that 30,000 individuals will ultimately need shelter and approximately 450,000 residents will need some sort of disaster assistance. According to officials, even when the rain stops, the “flooding will be very slow to recede.”
Houston’s resources are overburdened, which is why cities and counties like the City of San Jose and the County of Santa Clara are being called on to provide assistance. The City of San Jose has deployed some of its Fire Department personnel as part of the California Urban Search and Rescue Task Force to provide water search and rescue assistance. They will be joined by fire personnel from San Mateo County, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and South San Francisco. The Santa Clara County Fire Department is part of the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and may be called upon as resources are requested and needed.
“Hurricane Harvey has devastated Houston and the worst is yet to come,” said Board President Dave Cortese. “We may not be affected by this but we are part of this American family, and we will do what we can to support those who are in great need. That is what we as Americans do for one another.”
“We stand together with the people of Houston and Southeast Texas during their time of need,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo. “Here in San Jose, we remain all too familiar with the pain and challenges that follow natural disasters, and we will continue to do whatever we can to help our brothers and sisters in Texas recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey.”
Residents interested in supporting the relief efforts can donate to a variety of different non-profits involved with providing relief in affected regions of Texas. The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has a list of such organizations on its webpage: https://www.siliconvalleycf.org/harvey.
Mayor Liccardo’s team is also in contact with their counterparts in Mayor Turner’s office in Houston to explore other ways in which Silicon Valley residents can support the Hurricane Harvey relief effort.
For more information, contact the Office of Supervisor Dave Cortese at 408- 299- 5030 or the Office of Mayor Sam Liccardo at 408-535-4800.
News Release: Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts by City and County Officials
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Media Contact: Mario Lopez Office of Supervisor Dave Cortese, 408-299-5030; Ahmad Chapman, Office of Mayor Sam Liccardo, 408-535-4857.
Posted: August 29, 2017