Related: Van Rental Company Gives Update on Houston Location
Houston Van Rental Employees Trapped in Homes
Yaz Irani, founder and CEO of Airport Van Rental, checks in with his manager at the company’s location in Houston. As rain continues, some employees have lost their homes while others are still trapped inside their homes.

One of Airport Van Rental's employee's homes in Houston. Flooding continues as the rain keeps coming down. Photo courtesy of Airport Van Rental

One of Airport Van Rental's employee's homes in Houston. Flooding continues as the rain keeps coming down. Photo courtesy of Airport Van Rental
Yaz Irani, founder and CEO of Airport Van Rental (AVR), has been checking in with Dallas Kay, his manager at the company’s location in Houston, for updates on the affects of Hurricane Harvey in Houston area.
According to Kay, he has called all the due rentals to try and assist customers on extending rentals. So far, six vans have been returned at a local Best Western hotel. “Customers are stuck in their homes,” he says. “Some are stuck in Mississippi and some are stuck in Louisiana. Unfortunately, the storm could track that way on Wednesday and Thursday.”

This photo was taken at a hotel near Houston International Airport by Executive Editor Chris Brown's wife Silvia Krasuk.
Kay has been stuck inside his house for four days now. “My family and I are doing OK. Our subdivision is surrounded by water thus not allowing us to leave. We were running really low on food. I asked on social media if someone had been able to go to the store. A very nice neighbor showed up within five minutes with a bag of food for me and my family. I couldn’t have been more grateful.”

Johneishia, an employee at Airport Van Rental's location in Houston, had to be rescued from her car. Photo courtesy of Airport Van Rental.
Kay spoke to Rosey, his service agent. Her house had water pouring in; a family member had to rescue her and her husband by boat. “She is safe and dry, but she lost everything in her house and her car,” he says. Another employee Sharde Buchanen had to evacuate due to a levee breaking nearby. She and her dad are safe, but she still can't reach her mother, sister, or brother.
Team members are still sheltered in place. “We have been trying to find and reach family members,” says Kay. “I asked my team members for phone numbers to help try to help them contact their family members. We all keep calling and trying to send Coast Guard and National Guard rescue teams to the areas where they last spoke with their family members.”
In Houston, the rain should let up by Thursday and Friday, but the rivers, bayous, and reservoirs remain an issue; some have overflowed and most are at their capacity. According to news reports, the threat of flodding won't let up until Saturday or Sunday. As of Wednesday, both major airports are still closed.
"Last report that I saw there have been over 4,000 rescues," says Kay. "Currently, there's over 30,000 people in 230-plus shelters. Unfortunately, the death toll from Harvey has reached 30 lives."
More Rental Operations

The Desk Upsell Is Costing Operators More Than it Earns
Counter upsells generate revenue, but they can also slow transactions, erode trust, and cost repeat business. Fully inclusive pricing may offer operators a better path to long-term value.
Read More →
U-Save Expands Indian Ocean Presence with New Master Franchise for Mauritius
The franchise has been acquired by Mauritian travel entrepreneur Umarfarooq Omarjee, an established figure in the island's tourism and mobility sector.
Read More →
Global Carsharing Fleet Projected to Reach 768,000 Vehicles By 2030
A new Berg Insight forecast outlines several business models driving the projected growth in public carsharing worldwide through 2029.
Read More →
Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength
June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.
Read More →
Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport
The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.
Read More →
Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry
Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.
Read More →
Green Motion Expands Into Japan With Master Franchise Agreement
Japan's tourism industry, business travel market, and demand for vehicle rental services are reasons the country represents an important market for the company.
Read More →
ACRA Carrying Fuller Industry Load As AI and EVs Lurk In Future
The leading car rental professional business group details an active legislative, regulatory, and macro-trends agenda affecting car rental operators.
Read More →
World Cup Travel Data Shows Longer Car Rentals and More One-Ways
A recent analysis of FIFA bookings found varied demand patterns that influenced rental car pricing.
Read More →
A Leveling Force: AI Morphs Into A Rental Car Profit-Seeker
Revenue managers can’t match the emerging AI tools gobbling lots of data that could counter the competitive race to the rate bottom.
Read More →
