CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Corpus Christi city officials talked about a timely subject at Tuesday’s city council meeting: hurricane preparedness. Tropical Storm Alberto has already been dealt with, but every storm is different. One thing they all have in common is no storm should be taken lightly.
Walter Rives has lived in Corpus Christi for decades and with that, has lived through all types of severe weather.
“I was here during Celia, Hurricane Celia, where the power was out for ten days and did tremendous damage everywhere. I survived, but it was quite an experience,” Rives said.
He said he wasn’t prepared before, but has since gotten adjusted and doesn’t feel as scared when hearing a storm brewing.
“I wouldn’t say it scares everybody, what I would say is it puts everyone in a different mood,” Rives said.
Corpus Christi Fire Chief Brandon Wade said coastal cities like Corpus Christi need to be prepared for any type of severe weather. For city officials, that starts with maintaining good communication with state and federal officials.
“It means coordinating with The National Weather Service, coordinating with the state of Texas and the Texas Department of Emergency Management,” Wade said.
Chief Wade said that's what the city did leading up to Tropical Storm Alberto. They had search and rescue teams, medical teams and boat teams from across Texas ready for any possible rescue efforts.
“We called on Texas Task Force 1 to help with a wide area search and we went door to door checking on all the residents in North Beach to see if they wanted to evacuate or stay in place,” Wade said.
The city also has emergency shelters ready to go for anyone needing a safe place to stay. They also work with the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority to help transport residents away from dangerous areas. It's something Rives knows firsthand.
“I used to drive the city bus for the RTA. I was part of the drill and practice of taking people from Cabannis Field and evacuating them to San Antonio,” Rives said.
Residents are also urged to have a place to keep important items like documents and medications in the event of a weather emergency.
There are still five months left in the hurricane season, so it's never too late to put together a plan of action because it’s not a question of "will" a hurricane hit the Coastal Bend, it's a matter of "when.”
