Unlikely Hero in Hurricane Harvey Recovery

The Texas based grocery store H.E.B. is playing a crucial role in supporting the community and feeding the recovery in the aftermath of hurricane Harvey.   

Grocery Store to the Rescue in Houston 

H.E.B. is one of Texas’s major grocery chains. It has 83 stores in the Houston area and has managed to open almost all of them and provide needed goods to customers, even when competitors are struggling to open their doors. Their ability to operate after a major hurricane, stems from their disaster recovery mentality and planning. Even with an unprecedent event like the flooding of hurricane Harvey, they have been able to rally and get desperately needed goods to impacted areas.  

Local Lifelines 

People rely upon grocery stores to obtain basic necessities during a crisis. When the power is out, city water supply is unhealthy, fuel is unavailable, and traveling distances is not an option, people look to local stores and aid stations for basic necessities. Without food and water, chaos will reign, turning a natural disaster into a human catastrophe.  

This is where H.E.B. has prepared. They have crisis centers, logistics planning, and a wide variety of resources at the ready. They even have massive self-contained portable kitchens, capable of feeding 2,000 people an hour, that they can roll into affected areas.

Cleanup, Isle… 

Even with their experience, planning, and assets, hurricane Harvey is pushing them to the limits. They must clean up their stores and turn them around to service their customers.

FEMA and other aid organizations are working hard, but there is nothing like having food-on-shelves to keep people calm, maintain a sense of community, and reinforce hope. Many Texans are highlighting how their local grocery chain is ‘winning’ against national aid organizations and federal agencies for delivering what is needed.  

Managing Crisis

There is a great article on LinkedIn The inside story of what it took to keep a Texas grocery chain running in the chaos of Hurricane Harvey that highlights the struggles and successes H.E.B. is making, in getting food, water, and supplies to its stores in affected areas.   

It is an absolute MUST READ for those who want to know what it is like to respond effectively to crisis-level events. I have been there. All normal rules go away and it is about focusing on what can be done, in a maximizing way, to deliver what is needed most.

Recovery rests on the backs of people who are focused, creative, flexible, and possess the raw determination to step forward and get things done. That is how you dig your way out of a disaster.   

I applaud H.E.B for their impressive role, leadership, and grit. They are exhibiting key elements of effective disaster recovery: planning ahead, acting quickly, staying positive, thinking creatively, anticipating problems, and prioritizing the delivery of what is needed for short-term survival and long-term success.   

In doing so, they are helping their community and employees, raising the bar for other aid organizations to step-up, and creating fiercely loyal customers.  

Image sources: 

• https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/inside-story-what-took-keep-texas-grocery-chain-running-chip-cutter 
• https://www.cruisingkitchens.com/builds/completed/heb-57-trailer/ 
• https://www.heb.com/static-page/Community-Involvement 
• https://newslegit.com/2017/08/28/4206-harvey-victims/ 
• https://www.ksat.com/news/heb-sends-trucks-supplies-to-help-aid-victims-of-hurricane-harvey     

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