Project: Carrier Rental Systems (CRS) Rescues Emergency Service Providers from Tropical Storm.
Just five days into the official hurricane season, tropical storm Allison's surprise development
suddenly brought a staggering 35 inches of rain and up to 60 MPH winds to Houston and the Southeast Texas coastal
area on June 5th. By the third day of the storm - when reports of 12, 15 and 20-plus inches of rain in one
night were common - local weather forecasters had stopped referring to rain accumulation in terms of "inches."
By the end, Allison's four-day downpour had left many interstate highways, homes and businesses under several
feet of water.
Normally, an emergency services provider during hurricanes, the entire Texas Medical Center system suddenly found
itself a victim. The center whose 42 member health care institutions include the county's two trauma facilities
was hit with devastating losses. Two and three-story basements were filled with water, and many laboratories,
pharmacies, communication rooms and mechanical rooms were completely submerged.
When Allison hit Houston, CRS went into action. Early on "Day 5," the CRS team had fully mobilized, and
concentrating on the most critical medical facilities, CRS had operations in six major hospitals facilities
in the Texas Medical Center. CRS technicians, salespeople, managers and support staff from every region
joined together, working around the clock, to provide equipment for pumping water and drying critical areas.
They also worked on several comfort-cooling projects.
Preliminary forecasts estimated that damages are in excess of $2 billion and climbing and the effects from this storm will be felt in Houston for many years. However, for the most critical of Houston's emergency services, the damages were significantly reduced thanks to the tireless efforts of CRS.
Drying Out Critical Hospital Rooms
One of the Texas Medical Center's major losses occurred when a large central computer/telecommunications room in
one of its hospitals flooded affecting services to 12 other hospitals in the area. In response, CRS combined a
9000 cfm Desiccant DH with 120-ton fridge drying package to not only dry out the area, but also to keep the heat
sensitive equipment operational. Thanks to the CRS team's work, the computer/telecommunications system was back
up and operational within two days of the flooding.
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Comfort Cooling for Life Flight Crew
Another major player in Houston's emergency response team is a hospital-based air ambulance service called Life
Flight. Operating out of Memorial Hermann Hospital, one of the Texas Medical Center's two trauma centers, Life
Flight's three helicopters can travel up to a 150-mile radius to retrieve critically ill and injured
patients.
When Memorial Hermann lost power during the storm, CRS took portables to a new height - providing a 1 1/2 ton spot cooler to maintain comfortable working conditions for the crew that worked on top of the 14-story building. The crews, welcoming the relief from the heat and humidity, were able to maintain flight ready status.
Local TV Station Nearly Flooded Out
Throughout the storm, local CBS affiliate KHOU (Channel 11) continued broadcasting emergency information for
its viewers. However, even KHOU was not immune to Allison's wrath. When floodwaters began to flow into the
station, employees scrambled to move electronic equipment to dry areas and barricaded the control room from
the rising tide.
CRS created an 80-ton fridge-drying package to dry out the building. This system could run without risking
damage to the station's heat sensitive equipment and the station could continue to operate normally.
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