County to test mettle in mock storm drill

Gauging preparedness for the impending hurricane season will be a two-day task for local and state officials attending a mock storm drill that begins today.

The scenario simulates conditions for a hurricane threatening the South Texas coastline. The feigned storm will begin as a tropical depression and develop into a powerful Category 5 hurricane.

The exercise will allow officials to test their evacuation plans and the sheltering of special needs residents.

Cameron County conducted a similar exercise last year.

Cameron County's hurricane plan was put to the real test last August when hurricane Dean threatened to strike the Gulf Coast. A voluntary evacuation was ordered, but later called off because Dean no longer posed a threat to the area.

The last storm to hit near this area was Hurricane Emily in July 2005. It struck about 85 miles of south of Brownsville. At that time, local officials called for a voluntary evacuation. Although there were strong winds, rain and power outages, no major damage occurred.

After seeing what Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans, county officials decided that evacuations would be necessary if the county's levee were breached. In 2005, the levees meant to protect New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina failed, causing catastrophic flooding and widespread loss of life and property.

This year's drill will pair Cameron County resources with Emergency Operations Centers in Hidalgo and Willacy counties, and EOCs in Laredo, Austin and San Antonio, said Johnny Cavazos, emergency management coordinator for Cameron County.

"It's going to be more involved. The scenario is going to be much more intense," Cavazos said.

The exercise involves evacuating individuals from hospitals and other facilities by plane, as well as evacuating other people by bus. Officials won't know what other scenarios they will face until this morning.

In the drill, county and local officials will prepare the area for the potential strike of a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest category assessed by the National Hurricane Center. The storm starts out as a tropical depression in the Central Caribbean and as it makes its way through the Gulf of Mexico, growing stronger as it approaches.

Hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is used to measure a hurricane's strength. Storms are rated on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the weakest and 5 being the strongest.

Category One - Winds 74-95 mph, storm surge 4-5 feet above normal

Category Two - Winds 96-110 mph, storm surge 6-8 feet above normal

Category Three - Winds 111-130 mph, storm surge 9-12 feet above normal

Category Four - Winds 131-155 mph, storm surge 13-18 feet above normal

Category Five - Winds greater than 155 mph, storm surge greater than 18 feet above normal