This week the City of Houston had a drill for the what ifs. What if a big hurricane hit?

What if residents in Houston's poorest inner city communities are stranded?

“Are we prepared for a possible devastating hurricane season? And my answer to that is a resounding no,” said Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

It is the shared sentiment of the dozens of Third Ward residents and community leaders.

They fear scenes like those in New Orleans where residents on their rooftops desperately waited to be rescued.

“We've asked for money from the county we've asked for money from the city we don't have none,” said community activist Charles White.

So they're turning to the feds. They believe $2 million will help them train volunteers and buy more emergency equipment.

“We are not prepared. We need information (and) we need funding,” said Holman Street Baptist Church pastor Manson Johnson.

Still, city of Houston leaders say a hurricane preparedness plan is in place, that every community will be served.

While residents learned how they could protect themselves at a city sponsored hurricane preparedness workshop Saturday, 11 News asked the mayor's office about claims that poor communities would be ignored.

A spokesman cited the mass evacuation of more than 40,000 residents through buses and taxicabs during Hurricane Rita.

“We have demonstrated in the past that with less preparation than we have now we can do it and I'm confident that plans this year will be better than last time,” said Dennis Storomski of the mayor’s office.

The city is urging residents to call the city's 211 line.

They can register their name and address so that in the event of a disaster, emergency response crews can locate and rescue them.

Though in the Third Ward, many say much more is needed.