County officials review Dolly response

BROWNSVILLE - Cameron County officials are taking a hard look at how well emergency preparations worked during and after Hurricane Dolly.

"There was no loss of life, no major injuries," County Judge Carlos Cascos said. "There were no drownings, no death from roof collapses."

Hurricane Dolly was a better test of the county's emergency response system than Hurricane Dean last year, even though last year's storm tested the evacuation system, he said.

"This time, the county also got to test its system of communications with cities and other agencies," the judge said.

There is a big need for more equipment in both the county and its cities, Cascos said.

"City halls went down completely," he said. "There is no reason why they did not have generators. The county should help cities lobby for state or federal funds to buy generators."

The county and cities need satellite telephones and radios because the regular land line telephones and cellular phones failed during the hurricane, the judge said.

The county also needs a comprehensive drainage program, Cascos said. The present system is controlled by a patchwork of drainage and irrigation districts and is not adequate, he said.

Cameron County Emergency Management Director Johnny Cavazos said the county also needs more high-profile trucks capable of reaching flooded areas.

Used Army trucks bought many years ago for that purpose are worn out, he said.

"I looked at the four we have and two are no longer operable. They are just being used for parts," he said.

Drainage and irrigation districts need gasoline or diesel-powered pumps because electric pumps are useless during power outages, he said.

"But the county also needs more Gator (tractor-powered portable) pumps, too," Cavazos said.

Precinct 3 Commissioner David Garza of San Benito said Hurricane Dolly illustrated that the entire Rio Grande Valley lacks adequate drainage.

"The ditches were clean, the water was flowing, but you have 10-year, 25-year or 100-year events," Garza said.

The county has become very urbanized and must deal with much more runoff from hurricanes and rainstorms, he said.

When a hurricane strikes, the county must rely on the National Guard to bring in a lot of high-profile trucks to help rescue flood victims or deliver relief supplies, Garza said.

"Our equipment is not 100 percent adequate," Garza said. "We can rent tractors and pumps from farmers."

People who are still suffering from the effects of flooding aren't likely to believe the county was prepared, Garza said.

"Some are still under water," the commissioner said of rural homes.

"At FM 1847 and FM 510, behind the Crossroads Gin, it still stinks," the commissioner said of floodwater mixed with sewage from backed-up septic tanks.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Edna Tamayo of Harlingen said she is proud of county workers, but thinks more could have been done to help the National Guard get their trucks and manpower to the hardest-hit areas quicker.

"I take responsibility for that," she said. "I think, overall, we all did our best, whether it was at the Dancy Building or out in the precincts."

The best response in her precinct was along Military Highway, helping people in flooded areas at El Ranchito and Rancho Grande, Tamayo said. National Guard troops and county crews delivered drinking water, food and ice to colonias, she said.

Pumping water into tanker trucks in the Coco Road and Louisiana Road area is still going on, she said.

"We're using up a lot of funds," Tamayo said of the improvised plan to pump water into trucks and haul it to the North Main Drain.

"Sure, mistakes were made," she said. "I don't know when my guys will have a break. They're still working around the clock," she said of efforts to alleviate flooding problems.