La Feria Readies for Hurricane Season

A Visit with Police Chief Don Garcia

The 2015 hurricane season started off in June as a tame, little kitten. However, the season will officially run until the end of November. And judging from past years, it could end up like a tiger.

And just like clockwork, already a couple of wobbly, little tropical disturbances have popped up in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. So, all eyes will be watching the North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico for the next several months. Especially so, because the National Weather Service in Miami, Florida is predicting a low probability of a major storm hitting the Texas coast; “But,” says Barry Goldsmith, NWS lead weather forecaster stationed in Brownsville, “it just takes one to make it a memorable year.”

With all that going on, it was high time to visit with La Feria Police Chief, Don Garcia, to find out how ready we are in La Feria for a long-delayed major strike by a tropical storm His words were reassuring.

Chief Garcia told LA FERIA NEWS, “recent near-misses and the woes that the catastrophic storms Katrina and Rita inflicted on the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts were a ‘wake-up’ call for us along the lower Texas coastline. It made us take very seriously our state of readiness and made us evaluate our situation. Those storms were a call to action.”

He said that in many ways we are better prepared to handle emergencies than ever before.

“This month,” he said, “we have a scheduled meeting with myself and officers of the Criminal Investigation Division of the La Feria Police Department with a task force composed of members of the La Feria Volunteer Fire Department; City Manager Sunny Phillip; La Feria School Superintendent Rey Villarreal; Mayor Victor Gonzalez and other school officials.”

“We have already hammered out a plan to provide school buses to transport people to shelters if needed,” he said, “The Police and Fire Departments will work with the school to coordinate and direct this project. This is something new and should reassure our citizens that someone will be available if they have no one to help them.”

Several citizens have inquired about the state of progress of the FEMA-funded “SAFE ROOMS” under construction south of town.

Esmeralda Sanchez, Capital Projects Coordinator, informed LA FERIA NEWS that completion and readiness for occupancy will be probably in early November. “However,” she reassured, “the city has an emergency management plan in force in cooperation with the Cameron County emergency management master plan. How that will be put into action will depend on the type of storm we are facing.”

Chief Garcia added that a new radio system is now making it possible for all the law enforcement services to coordinate communications.

He said, “Now local and state police officers, EMS, federal officers, including the F.B.I and immigration services and the U.S. Border Patrol will all be sharing a common dedicated, secure radio frequency. We sorely needed this.”

“All the members of the La Feria Police Department have been instructed in case of a declared tropical storm warning to take good care of their families first, then, report for storm duty here at Emergency Control Headquarters in the police station for assignments,” he said. “I’ll be here during any storm,” he added, “I usually camp out here in my office, during emergencies.”

Sergeant Eliza Mendez is the La Feria Police Dispatcher. She will also be at her post during storms or flooding emergencies. She said, “We’ll be ready.”

“These improvements are going to help,” the Chief said. He then added that regardless of weather reports and warnings, each citizen must take it upon himself to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of family members and the protection of property to the best of their ability–not to rely on others.

Garcia said that a sensible thing to do even now would be to (1) Have on hand plywood cut and ready to board up windows, (2) Trim trees around your home, (3) Clear gutters and ditches to allow water to flow freely, (4) Have on hand some water, food, flashlights, a radio with batteries. (Remember: power will probably fail and TV will be useless) Also, make decisions about your pets and their welfare–they’ll be scared too. Also: a reminder to check your insurance and other valuable papers.

LA FERIA NEWS will provide more specific information if a storm seems to be taking aim at our neck of the woods. Keep in mind, the telephone for the La Feria Police Emergency Command Center will be (956) 797 3121. Let’s hope we won’t need it, but write it down some place–just in case.