U.S. Mayors meet to discuss Harvey recovery


In a room full of people at the George R. Brown Convention Center it may have been hard to tell, but everyone has had their own story. Many, mayors from across the United States who have also experienced a natural disaster. Including the mayor of Rochester Hills, Michigan, who two years ago saw torrential rainfall.

Mayor Brian Barnett says, "every opportunity we have to share our experiences and support when we had our major event in 2015, 1,000 year flood, I leaned on Mitch Landrieu and leaned on mayors from all across the country".

The Mayor of New Orleans also stepped in, talking about his experiences with Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"What we learned in New Orleans was that we couldn't do it on our own, just the government and so the business community, the non-profit community, the faith based community and you know this already, just the incredible volunteers and the great acts of heroism and as terrible as this storm was and as awful as it was, you just saw angels just coming out of the woodwork", says Mayor Mitch Landrieu.

The group also stopped into the Houston Food Bank, where Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed October 1st to be Houston Cares Day, sponsored by Hive Society, Inc. The group helped lead 1,000 volunteers to create 150,000 meals for those in south east Texas experiencing hunger or food insecurity.

"The Hive Society is based off of a bee hive, everyone works for the greater good so if everyone can get out and so their small little part just like Houstonian's did with relief efforts in Harvey, it can make a major impact", says founder and president Adrian Edmonds.

At the end of the day the group met with an understanding, to always come together in aid, in each others time of need.

"Cities are stepping up and the leadership of the U.S. Conference of Mayors has been very much, we appreciate it, we respect the leadership and we look forward of Houston playing it's part, we just can't be a receiver, we also have to be a giver as well", says Mayor Turner.

Mayor Turner also says the city plans on sending volunteers and Houston police officers to help aid Puerto Rico this next week.