Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/339692
t m c » p u l s e | j u ly 2 0 1 4 5 To help avoid disruption to power during a storm, all of the hospitals within the medical center house backup generators, and a plan for supplying enough fuel to keep their power on for a predetermined period of time. Many also lifted their electrical switchgear to several feet above the ground. The campus also saw the addition of more than 170 flood doors, designed to protect the most vulnerable low-lying entryways and below-ground tunnels that connect several institutions in the heart of the medical center. "Given what happened in Allison, here we are many years later, now the Texas Medical Center would be able to lock down and actually protect them- selves pretty handedly against the return of another Allison," said Bedient. The Flood Management Group (FMG) was established in 2003 to help outline the policies and procedures for flood mitigation, and to manage the operation of the flood doors across the medical center. The FMG is a collab- orative effort by the Texas Medical Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, CHI St. Luke's Health-Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, and the Children's Nutrition Research Center. "The flood tunnel protection and communication plan established by the Flood Management Group includes mutually agreed upon protocol for identifying areas to protect, warning procedures for potential flooding, establishing a priority of protection and defining a flow for communication. It also defines training requirements for each participating institution," explained Texas Medical Center Director of Security Services Cheyne Day. The Texas Medical Center also has a fully staffed operations center, which monitors the weather, and water levels in the bayou, around the clock. Well before the water levels reach a critical point, member institutions are in com- munication about the best course of action for securing the campus. Practice runs of these scenarios are conducted four times a year, to ensure all members of the mitigation teams are up-to-date on the policies and procedures for various scenarios. "The operations center is sort of the nucleus that kind of brings together all of our member institutions," explained The level at which notifications go out to the flood management group. The level at which teams mobilize, impacted garages are closed and flood doors may be staed. The estimated equivalent of water dropped by Tropical Storm Allison. That is enough to meet the U.S. water demands for an entire year. The estimated total of damages caused by Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, making it the costliest tropical storm in U.S. history, according to NOAA. The level at which all flood doors and gates are closed. Weather conditions and bayou water levels are monitored around the clock. The number of flood doors and gates located across the Texas Medical Center. The number of people removed from the Texas Medical Center by helicopter following Tropical Storm Allison. The number of times the water level in Brays Bayou has crested since 2001. The level at which the water in Brays Bayou will crest. 2 16 ½' 10' 5' 7' 1,000+ 170+ 24/7 $5,000,000,000 32,000,000,000,000 GALLONS B R A Y S B A Y O U W A T E R L E V E L S David Pollard, operations center super- visor. "It allows for the 24/7 monitoring and communications of any inclement weather or incidents. Of course, each member institution has their own communications centers, but some of their procedures and processes are predicated off of the communications that we are sending out. "We have a very strong relationship with the Harris County Emergency Management, the Harris County Flood District, Rice University and the FAS3, so it is a joint effort," he said. "But we do try to do our best to be the nucleus of it all, the centralized watchful eye at all times. So while everyone is sleeping, we are still monitoring and communicating." The medical center's proximity to Brays Bayou, paired with the area's often extreme precipitation makes it more susceptible to flooding. The City of Houston has sponsored improve- ments to the bayou and the Harris Gully, including a sizeable project to build a channel under Kirby drive, to help manage runoff through the gully. Pollard has worked within the medical center long enough to recall the damage caused by Allison in 2001. He noted that the improvements to the Harris Gully box culvert—the tunnel that diverts water under the street— have delivered noticeable results. "There have been so many advance- ments, and so much work and money put into the Harris County Gully to help keep the Texas Medical Center from flooding," said Pollard. "It has been well tested over the past year or two and has truly held up phenomenally." While technology can help institutions execute an evacuation promptly or divert floodwater, there is nothing that can be done to prevent the kind of torrential downpour that the city might experience during a tropical storm or hurricane. Each institution within the Texas Medical Center is committed to mitigating—through year-long planning and investments in infrastructure—the impact that a severe storm might have on their patients and facilities. It is an ongoing effort, but one that those familiar with the medical center feel confident in. Bedient, for one, has seen plenty of bad weather. As an outspoken advocate for better hurricane protec- tion measures for the Houston Ship A D VA N C I N G F L O O D M I T I G AT I O N Channel, he knows well the impact that one severe storm can have on the city. But he expressed confidence in the level of protection afforded by the upgrades and monitoring within the medical center. "In terms of getting ready for the next hurricane season, I would say that the medical center, now, within the city of Houston, is probably one of the most flood-prepared and flood protected areas in the city." Sources: "Case Study of Flood Mitigation and Hazard Management," Bedient et al. Texas Medical Center Flood Management Group