Texas Border Business
By Selene Rodriguez
In the face of unpredictable natural disasters, South Texas College is taking action to better prepare the Rio Grande Valley through the Disaster Ready Expo, an annual event that provides the community with essential life-saving knowledge and resources to handle emergencies such as hurricanes, floods and power outages.
The event will take place on Friday, February 20, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Mid-Valley campus in Weslaco.
“As an educational institution, it’s our mission to inform and equip the community with the vital knowledge needed to prepare for any type of disaster,” said STC Mid-Valley Campus Administrator Daniel Montez. “Whether it’s bad weather, a power outage or a hurricane, we aim to provide the tools that will help you protect your home and your loved ones.”
As the seventh year of this initiative approaches, Montez emphasized the critical importance of emergency preparedness and urged the community to take advantage of this opportunity.
“Unfortunately, many people don’t think about preparing for an emergency until it’s too late,” he said. “Most people believe that during a disaster, they can just call 911 and everything will be fine. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes, agencies may not be able to reach you and that’s why it’s crucial to be prepared with everything from medicines and supplies to water, food and an evacuation plan.”
The event will feature speakers from the National Weather Service, the Salvation Army, the Weslaco Fire Department, and local experts such as KRGV Meteorologist Tim Smith and the weather team from Telemundo 40, including Brenda Cantu, Karina Segovia and Gabriela Gutierrez.
Additional participants include Texas Workforce Solutions, Hidalgo County Precinct 1, Magic Valley Electric Coop and the Weslaco Police Department.
Key topics will include hurricane preparedness, flood risk management, power outages, fire safety, emergency contacts and other critical strategies for staying safe during times of crisis.
“Over the years, more and more agencies and individuals have joined our shared mission of promoting emergency preparedness. We are very excited and proud of this event, which has grown exponentially,” said longtime Meteorologist and STC Physical Science Instructor Jeremy Hinck. “As a beacon for the community, we strive to do our part and help as many people as possible.”
Originally launched in 2017, this community-focused event was born from Hinck’s idea to create a bridge between the community and disaster readiness. Since then, it has grown significantly, reaching over 400 attendees last year.
“As a meteorologist, I wanted to bring this vital information to the community. While no one wants to think about a disaster, being prepared is crucial,” he added. “The reality is that, during a disaster, we’ve seen tens of thousands of people desperately searching for this information. Why wait? Let’s get ready now.”
