Houston school transportation rises to the challenge of Hurricane Ike

HOUSTON — Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas on Sept. 13 as a Category 2 hurricane. In Houston, nearly the entire city was without power, and residents suffered significant damage due to winds, downed trees and flooding.

Bonnie Russell, assistant superintendent of transportation for Houston Independent School District (HISD), reported that in preparation for the storm, district school buses returning from their afternoon routes on Sept. 11 were parked in the shelter of the district’s two stadiums in “storm formation,” with newer buses on the inside of the stack and older buses at the perimeter.

The transportation department began 24/7 operations the next day, when all campuses were closed, with its emergency response team located in a command center set up at one of the district’s transportation sites.

Mayor Bill White called upon the district to open Shelters of Last Resort (SLR) at 10 HISD campuses. Forty HISD buses and drivers were dispatched to the shelter locations to provide emergency transportation if needed.

On the night of Sept. 12, power was lost at the command center, requiring the use of a diesel generator. The generator provided full building power for the following weeks.

Winds dropped below tropical storm force on Sept. 13, and HISD buses began transporting evacuees to primary shelter sites. HISD bus drivers navigated along roadways through downed power lines and trees without incident to get people to safety.

On the morning of Sept. 14, several thunderstorms associated with an approaching cold front dropped more rain on the city in a very short time, causing additional flooding.

On Sept. 15, 24-hour on-site security teams were formed to oversee the fleets and prevent loss of fuel or vandalism at the storm formation sites. Later, a fuel acquisition program for district employees was established. Due to the storm, many oil refineries in Texas were shut down, resulting in a temporary gasoline shortage and increase in fuel prices.

The district’s school bus fleet survived the storm in remarkable shape, and transportation began using the fleet without restriction immediately after the storm, Russell said. It was discovered that not a single window was broken.

On Sept. 22, transportation staff drove all bus routes to assess road conditions and ensure access to all campuses.

The transportation department has been involved in ongoing recovery efforts. HISD bus drivers have been transporting evacuees, Houston Fire Department trainees and out-of-town power workers from hotels to work dispatch locations. Drivers also assisted the HISD food services department in emptying freezers and coolers at the district’s approximately 300 campuses and assisted the HISD facilities department in cleanup and repair at campuses and other district sites.

On Sept. 23, HISD re-opened almost half of its campuses. Approximately 140 schools had power restored and damage repaired to the extent that the campuses were safe, secure and sanitary for students. Additional campuses were expected to re-open on Sept. 25, with the rest to follow by Sept. 29. The transportation department took students on field trips to provide educational opportunities for students at campuses that have not yet re-opened due to power outages.

“Throughout this event, I have been so impressed, so proud and feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such dedicated teams as those here at Houston ISD and especially the transportation department,” Russell said. “It is really something to see a well-functioning team get to ‘stretch its legs’ when faced with continuing difficult challenges, yet see them over and over again be successful at the highest level.”