Meteorologists and hurricane forecasters see a “Super El Nino” forming in the Pacific Ocean, a weather phenomenon that usually means a reduced number of hurricanes forming in the Atlantic basin.   

It is from that basin – which includes the Caribbean Sea and the warm waters of the Gulf – from which hurricanes form that pose a threat to the Rio Grande Valley. It has been six years since the last-named hurricane – Hanna – came ashore in the Valley. The July 2020 storm was a high-end Category 1 hurricane that meandered before making a solid landfall 10 miles north of Port Mansfield.

The storm’s trek from there veered to the southwest over northern Hidalgo County and into neighboring Starr County. Land interaction did not initially significantly weaken the storm as it moved due west. Rural Hidalgo County and northern sections of Edinburg felt Hanna’s wrath. “Super El Nino” should mean less storm activity in the Atlantic basin, but as a RGV emergency coordinator points out, “all it takes is one.”

Ricardo Saldana, the emergency management coordinator for Hidalgo County, was among the local officials who recently attended a joint regional hurricane preparedness conference in Edinburg. He said forecasts call for 13 named storms in the Atlantic this hurricane season, with three major ones and one Category 4 or 5 storm that would be of extreme strength.

“The potential for a storm impacting the Valley is there,” Saldana said.

‘Heart Of Public Safety’

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with August and September usually being the peak months.

In more recent years, however, July has been a troublesome hurricane month for the Valley. Hurricane Dolly was a late July 2008 storm that came ashore near South Padre Island as a Category 2 storm and brought 12-to-18 inches of rain to the region. Dolly caused $1 billion in damages and inflicted widespread power outages that lasted for days in many parts of the Valley.

Dolly and Hanna were July storms and that means preparedness must come before the usual peak months. Community leaders from Edinburg, McAllen, Mission and Pharr gathered in mid-May to begin spreading the word about getting ready and organized for the upcoming hurricane season. Edinburg Mayor Omar Ochoa called it “preparing for the worse while hoping for the best.”

Jeff Johnston, an assistant city manager for McAllen, lauded the coordination and communication among area cities when emergencies arise and disasters hit.

“We look out for each other in the Rio Grande Valley,” Johnston said. “I see no strangers here.”

Cesar Torres, the chief of police in Mission, highlighted the prominent role community leaders play in helping local residents through emergency situations.

“Our communities look to us for guidance and direction in navigating floodwaters and evacuating residents,” Torres said. “It goes to the heart of public safety for us to be there for our communities during times of need.”

Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute

Torres and the other public officials offered some key recommendations as hurricane season begins in June. 

They are:

• Create an emergency kit that includes one gallon of water per person for at least three days and have an ample supply of non-perishable food items.
• Stock flashlights and batteries.
• Store important documents in waterproof bags. 
• Become informed with your city of residency about weather and emergency alerts that are offered via text messages and phone calls. Many cities now offer Amber alert type of messages to cell phones after registering with local city governments. 
• Review home insurance policies and consider flood insurance coverage for your property before a hurricane enters the Gulf. 

Mayor Ochoa referred to a recent weather event that brought strong winds that caused widespread local concerns as a front moved through the Valley.

“It showed us again how quickly these events can occur,” he said. “If we wait until the last minute, we will not have enough time to coordinate our efforts.”