The outlook for the 2016 hurricane season is only days away from being announced by national weather experts. No matter the outlook, Texas Task Force One is ready for severe weather in the Rio Grande Valley.
The outlook for the 2016 hurricane season is only days away from being announced by national weather experts. No matter the outlook, Texas Task Force One is ready for severe weather in the Rio Grande Valley.
Rio Grande Valley leaders said many improvements have been or are being made after the devastating floods brought by 2015’s hurricane season. These include drainage project improvements, new equipment and Texas Task Force One – Rio Grande Valley, a group of highly trained professionals equipped to handle any emergency situation.
Valley leaders hope that this year’s flooding isn’t as bad as 2015’s. Urbano Diaz, a Faysville resident, woke to the shock of heavy rainfall and high waters inside their home, last June.
Mr. Diaz said, “We were here sleeping and, three o’clock in the morning, my wife says ‘Why don’t you go take a look at the rain?’ So, I stepped out from the bed. Sure enough, the water was that deep. I said, ‘We’ve got to get out, hon. Pack your things and let’s go.’ So we just left to my son’s home in Edinburg.”
The Diaz family home was “demolished inside,” according to Mr. Diaz. “We lost all our furniture. We lost everything we had inside. We had to get out, stay out for one month and then come back and try to remodel it, without any money.”
The Diaz’ experience underscores the need for homeowners and businesses to ensure that they have proper insurance coverage, especially flood coverage if they’re in flood zones.
According to Valley leaders, Hidalgo County and cities such as Weslaco, Edinburg, and Donna are among those making improvements to drainage systems and getting new equipment for clean-up and repairs.
They also have Texas Task Force One – Rio Grande Valley. The 50-member team is composed of specialized, highly trained people from various Valley emergency agencies. There are currently only three such task forces in Texas.
Eddie Olivarez, director of Hidalgo County Health and Human Services, said, “For you to get the Texas Task Force designation, you have to have extremely well-trained proven leaders. Dealing with response and the designation of the Texas Task Force One is a big honor to south Texas.”
Texas’ governor approved Texas Task Force One due to the quality of the regional response team already in place.
Ricardo Saldana, leader of Texas Task Force One – Rio Grande Valley, said, “We pushed legislation to help create Texas Task Force One – Rio Grande Valley, which is a type-three team, a smaller team which consists of hazardous material technicians, rescue technicians, confined and structural collapse technicians. We have a sub-branch of swift water rescue guys and boat guys that are part of the team. We have all the components that need to be part of this response.”
The team’s first and only assignment to date was in Wimberley, a city near Austin, and occurred last spring. Floodwaters were so bad they swept both people and homes away. The team deployed six members to assist with rescue efforts and the experience was “invaluable.”
Seldana said, “It was an awesome experience for those team members that were deployed. They were able to put themselves, boots on the ground, and experience what an actual deployment would be.”
Texas Task Force One – Rio Grande Valley undergoes regular training. There are also efforts at increasing community awareness as well as teaching people about better hurricane preparation. The team and official are working with local agencies to spread the word.
Source:
Join the conversation!