Houston Matters
Summer travel heats up (June 29, 2023)
Posted on · On Thursday's show: Record-breaking travel numbers are expected over the 4th of July weekend. And we discuss how smartphones have changed our lives -- for better or worse.
Tag: disaster response
News
Metro Apologizes for Inaccurate TV Spot
Posted on · Metro has now pulled a TV spot that praised the response of its employees during Harvey’s floods last year. The spot was taken off the air because it incorrectly had footage from Hurricane Katrina.
Houston Matters
Latest Flooding Was Especially Hard on Houston’s Most Vulnerable
Posted on · Houston's latest flooding was especially hard on areas like Greenspoint, where the majority of the households affected were low-income. We discuss the impact of the flooding on Houston's most vulnerable — and what's being done to help them — with Lance Gilliam, chair of the Houston Housing Authority.
Houston Matters
When Natural Disasters Strike, Refugees Need Food, Shelter…and Flooring?
Posted on · We might think that when natural disasters strike, those displaced often need things like food and shelter first. And while that might be the case, for those in the developing world another important need is often flooring. That’s right — flooring. Without proper flooring, refugee families are susceptible to infections, flooding and hypothermia. That’s where […]
Houston Matters
How Do We React to Impending Storms — Is it Appropriate or Too Much Hype?
Posted on · Whenever there's a storm headed our way, we respond in a number of ways. Many Houstonians heed warnings of public officials to shelter in place if the storm is particularly serious. Others flaunt such warnings and make up their own minds about how dangerous a coming storm may be. Some media seek to explain what's […]
Houston Matters
What Kind of Hurricane Season Should We Expect and How Prepared is Greater Houston?
Posted on · It's officially Hurricane season, Houston. Starting now, and for the next six months, we Houstonians keep tabs on tropical storms developing in the Gulf and prepare for the possibility that any could make landfall. The last few years have been relatively quiet on the tropical storm front, which would normally leave public officials concerned about […]
Houston Matters
Houston Team Programming Robot for Disaster Response
Posted on · (Note: This piece originally aired Oct. 23, 2013) We learn about HERCULES, a robot being programmed in Houston by David Kortenkamp and his team at TRACLabs. The robot is being designed to assist in disaster response situations where it’s unsafe for humans to go. HERCULES was built by Boston Dynamics Inc. but TRACLabs is programming […]
Houston Matters
Can Houston Be the Healthcare Hub for the Americas?
Posted on · Organizers of a new medical conference say they want to establish Houston as the “healthcare hub for the Americas.” The Medical World Americas conference is expected to draw more than 2,000 health care professionals. It will feature several topics for discussion, including disaster preparedness. We talk with the health care and life sciences consultant for […]