HURRICANE IKE UPDATE
September 10, 2008 12:30p.m.
TO: ALL PHA EMPLOYEES
In response to the potential threat of Hurricane Ike to the Houston/Galveston region, the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) Hurricane Preparedness Plans for its terminals are activated.
The Port of Houston Authority will be closed for business this Friday, September 12, but expects to be open for business and fully operational on Monday, September 15, at 7:00 a.m. and employees are expected to report to work at their regularly scheduled time.
Employees living in an area where a mandatory evacuation has been called must communicate this information to their supervisor or manager immediately upon notice of a called evacuation. Additionally, employees who live in low-lying areas that are prone to evacuation notices should communicate this to their supervisor or manager immediately today.
Managers and supervisors must pass this communication on to all employees, especially those who do not have access to e-mail.
PHA is in regular communication with the U.S. Coast Guard, Houston Pilots, other state and local law enforcement agencies as well as the National Weather Service.
Based on information received from these various resources, PHA encourages its employees and tenants to review their own personal emergency preparedness plans now and make any necessary preparations for a possible weather event.
The city of Houston along with other regional partners provides a Web site with quick access to a variety of local and national information on disaster preparedness. You may access this information at www.readyhoustontx.gov.
PHA's policy is not to penalize employees when weather conditions make it unsafe for them to arrive at work at their regularly scheduled time. You may choose to delay your arrival, based on weather reports and your safety. In any case, employees should notify their immediate supervisor no later than 30 minutes of their scheduled arrival time at work of the situation and then make every attempt to arrive at work at the earliest possible opportunity.
You should also use this time to review your department's communications plans during a severe weather event with your supervisor or manager.
Please check the PHA Web site-www.portofhouston.com- or PHAstatus.com regarding the status of business operations and other information. We will update the message as needed. You should also call the PHA Crisis Hotline at 713-670-2870 for any updated message.
If you have concerns, please call your supervisor for more information and check the hotline number or Web site for updates. Also, please pass this information along to anyone who does not have access to e-mail.
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