DALLAS — Dallas city staff admitted in a new report the city was not fully prepared for the record rainfall and devastating floods on August 22.
In a presentation to the city council Wednesday, Director of Emergency Management Rocky Vaz listed several areas where he says the city was underprepared:
- Dallas Fire Rescue did not establish a unified command during the storm
- Dallas police didn’t have the barricades they needed to close off roads and had to use their squad cars as blockades instead
- The 311 Call Center was minimally staffed
- No city program exists to directly help affected residents after a disaster. Direct financial assistance has been the primary request from residents, Vaz said
Vaz also reported several things he believes the city did well:
- DFR and DPD responded quickly to water-related calls
- The Emergency ops center got up and running quickly, so did a multi-agency resource center
- And while it was short staffed, the 311 Center successfully triaged and prioritized its calls
City staff prepared this report to identify corrective actions to respond if and when this happens again. The report notes that staff will schedule additional DFR field training, develop a program that does provide that direct financial assistance, better coordinate barricade requests, and prepare 311 to identify the need for additional staff in the case of an emergency.
Dallas and the state of Texas did not qualify for federal funds per a disaster declaration. But, through the U.S. Small Business Administration, you can apply to see if you’re eligible for a low interest loan for help repairing damage to your home or business.
You can apply online, or if you need assistance, you can go to the Balch Springs Recreation Department at 4372 Shepherd Lane or the Samuell-Grand Recreation Center at 6200 East Grand Ave. Both are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m, Monday through Friday.