Saving Lives with Words: Houston's Hurricane Beryl Story

How Brent Taylor and the OEM team delivered critical information during extended power outages. Part 2 of a series

In our previous deep dive, Good Government Files highlighted The Woodlands Township's response to Hurricane Beryl, focusing on the exemplary communications efforts led by LeaAnn Peterson. This time, we shift our focus to the City of Houston's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and its public information officer, Brent Taylor, as they navigated the challenges posed by Beryl.

For those catching up, Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, approximately 95 miles south of Houston, as a Category 1 storm on July 8. It impacted 90% of the region’s 7.5 million residents, with sustained winds of 80 mph causing extensive wind damage and downed power lines. This led to prolonged power outages affecting 2.3 million homes and businesses. The storm resulted in an estimated $2.5 billion in property damage and tragically claimed at least 36 lives in the Houston area.

Given Houston’s familiarity with severe storms, Beryl’s impact was nonetheless massive. Let’s explore how the City of Houston responded to this devastating hurricane.

Meet Brent Taylor, public servant extraordinaire

Brent began his career as a journalist with TV news stations in Waco and Houston before transitioning to public service in 2016. He managed social media for METRO, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, and later served as deputy press secretary for the Houston Mayor’s Office for nearly two years. He assumed his current role at Houston’s OEM in February 2023.

Brent Taylor

Although Brent possesses extensive experience and training (the accompanying photo shows him at FEMA’s Advanced Public Information Officer course), Hurricane Beryl presented a communications crisis of unprecedented scale and complexity. Typically, power outages after a storm last a day or two, but Beryl’s extended outages were nearly unprecedented, posing life-threatening risks in July's triple-digit temperatures, compounded by high humidity.

The OEM began monitoring Beryl in late June as it became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, battering Grenada on July 1 and Jamaica two days later. It weakened to a tropical storm as it crossed the Yucatan Peninsula on July 5.

In a major metro area like Houston, there’s a lot for an office of emergency management to handle, even without a weather event. Before Beryl’s unexpected northward turn in the Gulf of Mexico, Houston’s OEM was already operational for the city’s July 4 festival and a Copa America soccer match featuring global superstar Lionel Messi.

As the storm shifted northward, the National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Houston, prompting increased activity at the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Communication strategies during the storm

Following the Tropical Storm Warning, Brent issued two critical messages using emergency messaging systems. The first was a standard weather alert via AlertHouston, a system that residents subscribe to for updates on current conditions, expected impacts, and protective measures. The second message targeted the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR), which provides detailed information on citizens with disabilities or transportation needs, ensuring they receive necessary assistance during emergencies. (More on STEAR below; it’s a testament to effective government support.)

As the storm track kept turning north, the EOC went from virtual coordination to in-person by Sunday, July 7. Brent got to the EOC around 12:30 that afternoon. Beryl made landfall at 4 a.m. Monday.

Shortly thereafter, power went out in Houston, and stayed out, as electric utility crews were overwhelmed by the number of power lines downed by falling trees when Beryl’s winds reached 80 mph. No power means no internet, which makes the life of the PIO responsible for reaching millions of residents in need infinitely more difficult.

In The Woodlands, LeaAnn printed 1,000 flyers with emergency information and had elected officials distribute them at local grocery stores. However, this approach isn't feasible for a sprawling city like Houston, which covers 693 square miles. Instead, Brent went old school by collaborating closely with both large and small radio stations. Surprisingly, he also leveraged the relationships the OEM has developed with the many foreign consulates in Houston, tapping into their networks to reach diverse communities.

Brent successfully collaborated with major news and talk radio stations to disseminate emergency information, which is an obvious choice. However, what many might not realize about Houston is its truly international character. The oil industry and the Houston Ship Channel — the busiest waterway in the United States — attract people from around the globe. To effectively reach the city’s large population of non-English speakers, Brent tapped into his extensive media contacts, which include numerous low-power radio stations that cater to diverse neighborhoods. This network proved crucial in delivering potentially life-saving information to these communities.

“Those (low power stations) are often language specific,” Brent said. “So, like your Chinese or your Vietnamese radio stations and things like that are very closely located. And so, we (called) those people and said, hey, what’s the best way for us to share this with you right now?”

One of the most effective tools those stations have is their WhatsApp groups. WhatsApp is popular among immigrants as it offers a free way to send messages globally, helping them stay in touch with friends and family in their home countries. While the City of Houston’s IT security protocols prevent Brent’s team from using WhatsApp, he ensured his radio partners included critical messages in their WhatsApp groups.

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