The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 33, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 13, 1980 Page: 1 of 24
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Hurricane Allen in Mercedes - See pictorial center section
The Merce
Mercedes, Texas 78570 Wednesday, August 15, 1980
nterprise
Volume 68 Number 35 Price 15$
Hurricane sideswipes community over weekend
Mercedes waited,watched, worried for 12 hours; local authorities assess damage as 'light'
After threatening to unleash untold
damage upon the Rio Grande Valley,
‘'killer'' Hurricane Allen churned along
the Gulf coast and moved inland, last
weekend, leaving Mercedes with minimal
damage.
The storm, which had headed straight
for South Texas after entering the Gulf of
Mexico from the Caribbean Sea, moved
ashore early Sunday morning, 15 miles
north of the Rio Grande, continuing on a
west-northwest course and battering the
upper Valley for another 12 hours.
For Mercedes residents, it became
apparent late last Thursday that whatever
course the storm chose, the community
was in for some severe weather.
An emergency session of the city
commission was conducted Thursday
night, with emergency personnel from all
facets of the community attending.
Actions already taken were reviewed by
the officials, and further efforts were
mapped out. An initial assessment by
Civil Defense Coordinator Jim Arnold was
that Mercedes was “better prepared than
most Valley cities.”
City officials were told that several
steps had been completed, including the
removal of dirt, branches and rubbish
from storm drains, securing of water
pumps, completion of brush and garbage
collection and the readying of all city
vehicles.
After discussing auxiliary power for
the police station and emergency opera-
tions center, Red Cross and school district
responsibilities for shelters and transpor-
tation were reiterated, and commissioners
were told that shifts for around-the-clock
shelter managers had already been
assigned. Plans were to use the junior
high gymnasium as the primary shelter,
with those arriving after that onie was
filled to be transported to the high school
by school bus.
Police and fire department were
assessed as being “in good shape,” with
auxiliary power said adequate for com-
munications and some lighting, but no fire
station siren. Any warnings would have to
be delivered by the public address
systems on police vehicle radios.
Friday morning saw grocery and
convenience stores, hardware and lumber
establishments crowded with shoppers
seeking tape and plywood, flashlight
batteries, canned goods and bottled
watdr. Those who delayed purchases until
too late in the day were sometimes unable
to obtain the necessary items.
By late Friday afternoon, prudent
residents had completed taping and
boarding windows, sandbagging door-
ways and stocking supplies. Most sat back
to monitor the storm’s progress on
television and radio (and watched as
newscasters ran out of things to say.)
The Emergency Operations Center in
the police Department building was
activated by Friday night, headed by
Mayor Ross and directed by CD Coordina-
tor Arnold, as the weather bureau warned
of the potential for disaster threatened by
the impending 175 mph winds. Hurricane
Allen, rated “force five,” was being
called the most powerful gulf hurricane on
record and the potentially most destruct-
ive.
Those taking refuge in Red Cross-
operated temporary shelters were told to
provide their own bedding, food and
convenience items, though some food was
provided by the school district. Despite
stifling humidity in un-air-conditioned
shelters, residents were taking refuge by
Local disaster planners and city and
school officials had prepared plans for
emergencies in anticipation of natural
disasters, such as last weekend’s near-
miss by Hurricane Allen, but before an
exercise to test the city’s emergency plan
could be conducted, the community was
faced with a real emergency.
“Everything worked like it had been
planned,” reports Civil Defense Coordina-
tor Jim Arnold. “We never lost communi-
cations,” and coordination among the
various emergency agencies proved ade-
quate, the coordinator reports.
Damage to the community was as-
sessed as “very light” overall, by the CD
coordinator, with no injuries or deaths
attributed to the storm. One resident died
over the weekend, but that was not a
weather-related fatality. One occupant of
a Red Cross shelter nearly gave birth
there, but was transferred by ambulance
in gale-force winds to Knapp Memorial
Hospital in Weslaco, where she gave birth
within minutes of arrival.
The director reports nearly 2000
people took refuge in the temporary
shelters, with an estimated 500 at the high
school building, (residents seeking shelter
were brought in as late as midnight
Saturday), 450 in the high school
gymnasium, 414 in the Knights of
Columbus Hall and 408 in the junior high
gyms. Another 200 people sought shelter
in local churches, including the First
Baptist Church, where approximately 100
gathered, the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints and the Southside
Baptist Mission.
The “light” damage consisted mostly
of felled trees and limbs, with a roof on
Barth’s Garage blown to the ground,
causing slight damage to Mercedes
Automotive, next door. A few awnings
were blown off of trailers at Llano Grande
Park and Queen City Gardens, but no
mobile homes were overturned. The
official reports that a few storage sheds
were destroyed and tin and aluminum
panels were blown from some buildings. A
few windows were broken, but most
damage in the business section of town
resulted from water leakage.
A survey conducted Monday by Tax
Assessor-Collector Ismael Luna, Jr.,
showed $231,000 in property losses by
local businesses, most of that due to water
damage. Losses in the residential areas,
too, were limited essentially to water
damage.
The school district experienced no
major damage, reports Superintendent
Monte Churchill, though some roofs
leaked and shingles were blown off, as
well as trees on various campuses felled.
The roofs of the Police Department
Building, City Hall and the Public Works
Building leaked, reports City Manager
Mrs. Linda Gulley, and three police
vehicles suffered damage during the
storm.
City water supplies, unlike the water of
many Valley cities, remained safe for
bathing and drinking throughout the
storm.
Superintendent Churchill cites princi-
pals and assistant principals who super-
Friday night and the junior high gymnasi-
ums were full by early Saturday.
First local effects of the storm were felt
early Saturday morning when rain squalls
drenched Mercedes. Intermitent rain and
wind gusts continued through the morn-
ing, growing in frequency until, by
mid-afternoon, constant winds of over 40
mph breezed across the community,
blowing sheets of cold rain.
With no wind gauge in Mercedes, and
the only one in the Mid-Valley (at Texas
A&I Citrus Center) inoperable without
electrical power during the peak of the
storm, CD Coordinator Arnold says he can
just guess that wind speeds topped 80
mph, over the 74 mph hurricane force
level, early Sunday morning. The Valley
was forecast to receive 10 to 15 inches of
rain from the storm, but Mercedes got
only 5.90 inches, according to figures
provided by W.D. Bill Parrish of Hidalgo
County Water District Number 9.
Mercedes utility services experienced,
surprisingly, only minimal disruption.
Telephone service was virtually uninter-
vised shelters on a volunteer basis, -as well
as offering “nothing but praise” for the
efforts of CD Coordinator Arnold and City
Manager Gulley.
Insurance companies were busy the
first part of the week assessing local
damage, and officials remind those
suffering losses to make temporary
repairs to prevent further losses, contact
their firm or agent as soon as possible,
and be patient, as representatives will
settle hardship cases first.
upted for most residents, though some
25,900 Southwestern Bell customers Val-
ley-wide were without phones at times.
City water service was also uninterupted,
though supplies were cut for six hours
during'the peak of the storm while city
officials replenished the water in the
storage tower. No main gas lines were
broken, only one yard line was cut, and
much of the city retained electrical power
for all but nine or 10 hours of the storm,
though other areas were powerless for
more than 24 hours.
[Continued to Page 6.]
L-L All-Stars win
Tuesday, 2-0
Mercedes Little League All-
Stars whipped the North Hous-
ton National team in the first
game of the state little league
championship tournament,
Tuesday night. Pitcher Carlos
Pimentel threw a one-hitter to
the Houston teaih.
Mercedes scores came on a
first inning home run by catcher
Larry Morales, and a pair of
second inning doubles. Rene
Guajardo doubled, and then was
batted in on a double by George
Lorenzana.
The team was scheduled to
meet the Sweeny All-Stars in a
Wednesday contest at 8 p.m.
The Mercedes All-Stars need
three straight wins in the single
elimination tournament to cap-
ture the state championship
title.
STAGES OF THE STORM -- The Mercedes area was visited by Hurricane Allen last weekend, and citizens prepared for the
storm, waited it out, then took stock of their situation, as the photos above and below show. At left above, a downtown retail
store employee tapes windows, as workers at Rio Grande Valley Gas Company boarded office windows, at right. Pictures below
show residents sitting out the storm in the safety of the junior high school gymnasium, at left, and CD Coordinator Jim Arnold,
at right, as he monitors shelter capacities in the community’s Emergency Operations Center. A post-storm scene at the bottom
of the page shows Public Works foreman Reynaldo de Leon, clearing a storm drain of debris, at left, and other residents sawing
branches from a felled tree to manageable sizes. Overall damage to the Mercedes area was assessed as “very light” by officials.
[Mercedes Enterprise Photos.]
Emergency operations went
as outlined in CD document
EDITORIAL COMMENT
An 1exercise
of excellence’
Hurricane Allen has come and gone, but the memories of those 24 or more
hours of concern linger on.
It was a time of trial and triumph; a time of watching and waiting for a
disaster that never did materialize.
As in any emergency situation, events took place that were neither wanted
nor planned. People -- on extremely rare occasions - didn’t respond as well as
they might have.
But for the most part, Hurricane Allen was an exercise of excellence.
Plaudits are due many for their efforts on behalf of their fellow human
beings.
To City Manager Linda Gulley and her city workers, Mercedes owes a vote
of thanks. Actions taken before the hurricane in cleaning drains and removing
.obstacles that might later have been hazards undoubtedly saved much misery,
a great deal of money, and perhaps injury or death.
Mercedes wisely shut off water for a short period of time that was
determined to be a period of lowest use. By doing so, lines were kept
pressurized and water was kept clean and safe for drinking. Mercedes
residents never did have to worry about unsafe water as did people from other
Valley communities.
Civil Defense Director Jim Arnold and all members of the Mercedes
committee did an outstanding job of keeping things running smoothly during
the storm. Hours spent in planning and rehearsal earlier in the year paid off
handsomely in dividends just before, all during, and immediately after Allen’s
passage.
Volunteer workers from the school district at shelters, all unpaid, were
heros to many refugees. These were the people who left their own families in
time of emergency to aid others less fortunate than themselves. They deserve a
“Thank you” from the community.
Crews of dedicated workers at CPL kept electricty going as long as humanly
possible. Most areas'of the city and neighboring areas were without power for
less than 12 hours. Others lost electricity for a little more than 24 hours. And
when the storm began to abate, it was CPL trucks that were out almost at once
to begin the task of restoring electricty to areas still out.
Telephone service was almost never interrupted. At times circuits were
busy with overload conditions, but for the most part communications were
always available.
There are many, many more who deserve to be congratulated for their
efforts.
To all who helped in any way, a grateful community says “You were truly
appreciated.”
And Allen had its lighter moments, too.
About mid-day Saturday, one radio announcer -- obviously tired -- advised
Valley residents who were afraid of staying in their homes in the face of 175
MPH winds expected to come from Hurricane Allen, to be certain to take
certain belongings with them to shelters.
“Take medications you are currently using,” said the announcer. “Take
bedding...and be certain to take an extra pair of sunglasses with you, if you
have them.”
Another announcer from the same station advised listeners that winds in a
hurricane revolved in an “anti-clockwise direction.”
And then there was the school teacher who said before the storm: “If
they’re going to have a hurricane, why couldn’t they have waited ‘til school
started. At least we’d have a holiday then.”
Echoed, no doubt, by hundred of school children across town.
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 33, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 13, 1980, newspaper, August 13, 1980; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth602165/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.