With peak hurricane season underway and recent flooding in parts of Texas, Hidalgo County officials are encouraging residents and students to prepare before severe weather strikes.
Ricardo Saldaña, Hidalgo County Emergency Management coordinator, said the county launched Hidalgo County Ready this year to provide preparedness training directly to residents.
The project includes monthly pop-up events across the Rio Grande Valley where staff demonstrate how to build emergency kits and share safety information.
“The intent of the program is to go out into the community and teach people how to prepare themselves, their families and even their pets,” Saldaña said. “Preparedness brings peace of mind.”
He said families should prepare in advance by safeguarding important documents, keeping medications ready and setting aside cash.
Saldaña added that residents should fuel their vehicles, stock food and water, and take safety precautions with items such as generators, grills and loose yard equipment.
He said the county is also working with its own employees, such as those in the Clerk’s Office, to strengthen preparedness across departments.
“Our employees are members of this community, too,” Saldaña said. “If they know how to take care of themselves and their families, they can also help the community.”
At UTRGV, Pablo Mendez, Emergency Management coordinator, said the university’s emergency systems are designed to reach the campus community quickly. Students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in the notification system, which uses texts, emails and newsletters.
“UTRGV is like a small city,” Mendez said. “We have housing, transportation, classrooms and labs that are running 24/7. Our communication has to match that.”
He said students should check their contact information in the university records to avoid missing alerts.
The university also maintains the Ready UTRGV webpage, which provides weather updates, preparedness tips and resources for the campus community.
Mendez said his office monitors both the National Weather Service and private weather systems to track storms early, including those forming in the Atlantic and near the Yucatán Peninsula.
“Once we see something might develop, our Incident Management Team meets and we start sending daily situational awareness updates,” he said.
Mendez said his office works closely with Hidalgo County Emergency Management to align campus planning with countywide response.
“What the county does affects our students directly, especially since so many live off campus,” he said.
Mendez encouraged students to use the resources available to them and to take small actions now before a storm arrives.
“Preparedness is everyone’s responsibility,” Mendez said. “We can’t stop the storms, but we can be ready for them.”
The next pop-up event will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at 107 N. Sunflower Road in Edinburg.
For more information, visit the Hidalgo County website, or Ready UTRGV.
