TRT's Response to the NW Houston Explosion

On Friday, January 24, 2020, there was a catastrophic explosion at the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing plant in Northwest Houston. The blast went off about a mile away from TRT’s headquarters, close enough to wake up all of our volunteers! The very next day, we were able to organize 90 volunteers from 20 different organizations to respond to a neighborhood in crisis.

The explosion sent shockwaves throughout the surrounding area, with about 190 homes receiving damage. Our volunteers came out in full force to tarp roofs and board up windows. The goal was to secure and stabilize the homes to protect from water or potential vandalism.

Together we served 25 families that day! After the initial response, we turned the longer-term plans to Team Rubicon, a national disaster response organization that specializes in these kinds of things. We opened up our offices and volunteer sleeping quarters for Team Rubicon so they could do what they do best.

The response was as swift as it was populous. A year removed and we still can’t believe how many wonderful volunteers came out to serve and love their neighbors in need.