CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Ahead of hurricane season, city leaders said they'll be reviewing plans Tuesday, May 24, and meeting with different departments and agencies to ensure teams are ready to be activated during an emergency.
Corpus Christi Emergency Management teams are made up of city employees who have been assigned roles including working the emergency operation center, moving people during evacuation, and answering phone calls at the call center.
Billy Delgado, the Emergency Manager Coordinator said nothing has changed in the planning for this year's hurricane season but people in the Coastal Bend need to have a plan in place.
"The planning should be done now,” said Delgado. “You should have a hurricane plan now on preparing if you need to evacuate. Have your supplies ready and have your documents ready."
Remember the city of Corpus Christi does not have a storm shelter and that’s because we're located in an evacuation zone where we're more likely to see storm surges. During an evacuation, buses will take people to the Corpus Christi Gym and auditorium on Saratoga.
"We're in a hurricane-prone area. So, the new constructions are built to withstand this type of situation,” said Delgado.
An example of this is at the Texas State Aquarium. President and CEO, Jesse Gilbert said the buildings are designed to withstand a category five hurricane.
During the last two hurricanes, all the animals outside were moved in. Gilbert tells KRIS 6 News, the aquarium has glass that can withstand 17 times the impact of traditional windows.
"You're in this glass sky dome, you're in the skylight of the jungle and you can see what's going on outside but it's perfectly still. You can’t feel it but you can see it,” he said.
