EDINBURG — The annual Atlantic hurricane season is set to begin next Thursday, ushering in a six-month period where residents need to be on heightened alert and ready to respond to the threat of catastrophic weather.
That was the message that leaders from across Hidalgo County hoped to impress upon their communities during a regional hurricane preparedness conference held at Edinburg City Hall on Monday morning.
The conference got underway with Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez delivering a sobering statistic about storm strikes along the Texas Gulf Coast.
“Texas is the second-most active hurricane state in the country, just behind Florida,” Cortez said. “And while Hidalgo County may be inland, we must remember that hurricanes bring … rain and flooding.”
It was a fact the county judge wanted residents to keep in mind despite predictions from the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project that this year’s hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, will be “slightly below normal” due to the expected formation of El Niño climate pattern.
“Current large-scale conditions and forecasts indicate that a transition to El Niño is relatively likely within the next several months,” the forecasting group said in an April news release.
The university forecasters predict the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season will produce 13 named storms, including at least half a dozen that become hurricane-strength, and at least two that develop into major hurricanes.
But active season or not, it only takes the landfall of one storm to cause significant damage, Cortez said, citing 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, which dumped 60 inches of rain from Houston to Port Arthur.
That hurricane caused more than $125 billion in damage, according to estimates from the National Hurricane Center.
“First, be informed. This press conference is part of that process,” Cortez said before launching into a series of practical tips.
Cortez urged residents to make a plan and to ensure that every member of the family knows what that plan is.
“Speak to your family in advance about where to meet, where to go, how to check things when disaster happens,” Cortez said. “That plan should always include your pets.”
It’s also important to create an emergency kit ahead of a storm — one that includes copies of important documents, such as passports and insurance policies.
Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. picked up where the judge left off.
He advised residents to prepare in the event that power outages continue for a prolonged period of time.
“Some of the emergency supplies … that we encourage is nonperishable foods — several days’ supply. Water, one gallon per person per day for several days for drinking and sanitation is recommended,” Garza said.
Medications for both people and pets should also be at the ready, as well as spare batteries, flashlights and first-aid supplies.
Plan A should never be the government at any level. Plan A should be your plan, the plan individually that you have for you and your family and your pets. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other and reach out to your neighbors.
Some storms are so dangerous that they prompt officials to issue evacuation orders.
It’s important to heed such orders, McAllen Assistant City Manager Jeff Johnston said. And there, too, it’s important to plan in advance.
“Where will you go? What route would you take? Who will you need to take with you? And what do you need to take?” Johnston said.
He advised residents to keep their gas tanks at least halfway full throughout the duration of hurricane season just in case they need to leave at a moment’s notice.
Johnston further advised that, while homes and possessions here in the Rio Grande Valley may be important, they are not worth losing lives over.
“Nothing is more important than your life, your family’s life. Material possessions can be replaced, so please follow any orders and be sure to evacuate,” Johnston said.
Other public officials from cities like Pharr and Mission urged residents to sign up for localized emergency notification apps, such as 311 or Code Red.
Residents can call their local city hall to find out which mobile apps their city is using.
Throughout the news conference, officials stressed the importance of two things in particular — that preparedness starts on an individual level, and that a strong sense of community helps build resilience.
“Plan A should never be the government at any level. Plan A should be your plan, the plan individually that you have for you and your family and your pets,” Tony Peña, assistant chief with the Texas Department of Emergency Management, said.
“Take care of yourself. Take care of each other and reach out to your neighbors,” Peña said.
Garza later echoed those sentiments during his own comments.
“Stay connected with your family, with your neighbors, as I mentioned. I can’t stress that enough,” Garza said.
It was a point the mayor returned to again during a cooking demonstration by Texas A&M AgriLife on how to prepare foods in a post-storm world without electricity.
“It starts at home,” Garza said of being prepared. “It’s important that residents keep themselves safe in their neighborhoods,” he said.
