Disaster Preparedness

"Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster." — Jim Wallis

 

The Team Behind This Work

• This protocol exists because Alief students believed their community's voices deserved to shape policy. Lead author Tommy Wan coordinated the 16-month research and community engagement process, with editorial contributions from student writers Julian Nguyen, Harrison Tran, Lander Gonzalez, Zody Calderon-Huerta, Allie Hogan, Ericka Chanchavac-Rosales, Sawsan Busari, Cindy Ukwu, and Yousif Al Mashhadi.

• We are deeply grateful to the community members and professionals who shaped this report through their feedback, expertise, and lived experience.

• To our government partners in Alief—Councilwoman Tiffany D. Thomas, Alief ISD, Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones, State Representative Gene Wu, the Mayor's Office of Education and Youth Engagement, the Houston Mayor's Office, and Harris County and Houston Health Department—thank you for your dedicated feedback and collaboration.

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Why This Report Exists

• When Winter Storm Uri hit in February 2021, Alief residents like 50-year community member Dianne Purvis went eight days without water, electricity, or refrigeration. Temperatures inside homes dropped to 40 degrees. During Hurricane Beryl, some neighborhoods lost power for 14 days while others were restored in two. These weren't just statistics—they were our neighbors' lived experiences. So we asked a simple question: What does disaster preparedness look like when it's built by the community, for the community?

 

The Numbers That Tell Our Story

• Over 16 months, AliefVotes brought together voices from across our community of more than 100,000 residents, representing more than 80 countries. A total of 194 community members attended disaster preparedness workshops, while 45 stakeholders participated in our comprehensive roundtable. Thirty youth volunteers from all five Alief ISD high schools contributed to research and writing, and more than 75 partner organizations collaborated on solutions. Our outreach materials were developed in seven languages to reach the full breadth of Alief's diversity.

 

Read the Report

• Whether you're a longtime Alief resident who remembers when the power went out for weeks, a newcomer trying to understand how this community takes care of its own, or an elected official looking for policy solutions that actually came from the people they're meant to serve, this report is for you. The 97-page report is written by students who grew up here, informed by neighbors who shared their most challenging moments, and designed to be something you can actually use. We hope you'll take a few minutes to read it, share it with someone who needs it, and help us turn these recommendations into reality. Alief built this together. 

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