Date: 201810
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZHU.ARTCC, TX
Flight conditions: Marginal
Weather elements / visibility: Thunderstorm; Rain
Light: Night
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise; Descent
Airspace: Class A ZHU
ATC / advisory: Center ZHU
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Enroute
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Workload; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure; Weather; Company Policy; Staffing
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: A weather front was moving through the area. A strong line of storms were present. In my sector I had aircraft deviating at all altitudes from 45000 feet and below. As the line moved east it was apparent that we would lose the northeast arrival gate. The sector I was working feeds the northeast gate. I was sequencing several arrivals on a point to point route due to the normal STARS routes being blocked by weather. As the line progressed eastward we were going to run out of room for the aircraft to enter the northeast gate at which point they would be forced into the east departure gate. One of the aircraft in the sequence was 'min fuel'. Other aircraft were on vectors for the weather and descending to the coordinated altitude and the TRACON Controller at the last minute refused to take the hand off on at least 5 or 6 aircraft. The vector/path that these aircraft were on required coordination with a Center and TRACON departure sector. All aircraft had to be turned out away from the TRACON. The TRACON Controller or their coordinator would not answer the line and we could not get anyone for a few minutes to give us any information. Due to the controller shutting us down; I was forced to climb aircraft back to a higher altitude to prevent a loss of separation. No separation was lost between any aircraft however we turned a manageable situation into an unnecessary train wreck. After getting off the sector I was later told by my supervisor that the TRACON did not have any management there and they had combined positions. The TRACON Controller had become overwhelmed with the northeast and southeast feeds and simply refused to take handoffs at that point. The mid shift supervisor had arrived at that point and worked to get the sectors split. There are a few issues here that need to be addressed. Whatever happened at the TRACON with respect to sector management needs to be addressed. Our TMU (Traffic Management Unit) is very slow to respond to issues. Every time we have a weather event it's as if it is the first time they (TMU) have encountered it. Their decision making; or in this case; the lack of it; is illogical; ill-timed; lackadaisical; or behind the curve at every point in time. The controllers working the traffic can see this slow moving train wreck taking place and when we ask what the plan is or route needed the response (in the case of today) was nothing. In this situation tonight; it was very obvious that the line of weather would force a closure of the northeast gate and the arrivals should have been shifted to the southeast gate. Even if the issues with TRACON had not occurred; these arrivals should have been moved to the southeast. This specialty area of which this event occurred; is the most complex and busiest in the facility and is often a dumping ground. We are forced to deal with high volume with weather and no plan to deal with the eventual issues that arise and the response from management and TMU is sickening. Serious problems exist in the TMU/management departments and it is affecting aircraft safety. We have a young controller workforce here as many veterans are retiring. The results may be different in the future if this incompetence is allowed to continue.




Synopsis: Center Controller reported Traffic Management Unit did not take appropriate measures to help during weather deviations and Supevisors did not have the Sectors staffed accordingly.