In many ways, the City of Seabrook had prepared for a disaster of this level. Even before Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston Bay in 2008, the city had
developed a plan in case the inevitable occurred. But the COVID-19 storm that started brewing in early 2020 hit in an entirely new way. “It was certainly like a tidal wave that hit shore so fast. We saw it coming, we started to prepare and then it hit. We just went straight into emergency mode,” says Paul Chavez, director of the Seabrook Economic Development Corporation. “It’s unprecedented because the whole world is experiencing something as significant as Ike. Everybody is affected by it.” He says that in early February, the city started reaching out to citizens and businesses, trying to prepare them for what lay ahead. “A lot of hard decisions had to be made, but we knew that for the safety of everybody, we had to make those decisions and enforce them,” Chavez says. In some cases, it means abiding by and enforcing decisions made at a higher level, such as Harris County’s Stay Home, Work Safe order. “We’re asking our residents to work from home if they can and that’s the same policy we’re using at the city,” says Chavez. There are exceptions to the rule, such as EMS crews, firefighters, police officers, and public works. In addition to responding to emergencies
throughout the city, Chavez says first responders are also checking on local businesses, which may or may not be open. “They make sure that there isn’t any kind of suspicious activity going on inside because we know a lot of people are scared about looting and burglaries,” he explains. Click to read more at www.rednews.com.