CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City of Corpus Christi is gearing up for Hurricane Season and will be holding a drill next week to put city workers and partnering organizations to the test.
The Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority also plays a vital roll in making sure that hundreds of people are transported safely in the event of a possible evacuation.
The upcoming exercise takes people through the same critical plan that was put to use during Hurricane Harvey. During the storm, voluntary evacuations were called for Corpus Christi residents in low lying areas.
"Why do we exercise and drill? The way Harvey came into town, if we hadn't been drilling all this time, we were ready, and did what we needed to do to make sure citizens get out of corpus Christi," said Billy Delgado, Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Corpus Christi.
He said evacuation orders depend on the size and intensity of the storm, with a focus on areas that flood first, such as Port A and Padre Island.
"We don't want to forget about the people on North Beach, low lying areas, Flour Bluff, behind Oso Creek, critical areas storm surge can be a big impact," Delgado said.
When it comes to the safety of the community Rita Patrick with CCRTA said that money takes a back seat.
"When an evacuation is ordered, we will immediately suspend fares, which means anyone can get on the bus for free," Patrick said.
Residents who board the bus during an evacuation will be taken to the nearest evacuation center.
"We will continue to do this until wind speeds are greater than 35 miles per hour, or water levels become unsafe," Patrick said.
Riders can bring essential items such as luggage and pets, but they must be in carriers.
"If you don't have a car or someone to help you get out of the city we have a paratransit service to our riders that aren't able to ride the regular buses," Patrick said.
If residents plan to use their own car to evacuate then their are some resources to be aware of.
The reverse alert system can give residents direct updates directly from the City in the event of a hurricane. To learn more about hurricane evacuation and how to prepare, click here.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- Ocean Drive revived: City to celebrate completion of Ocean Drive Rehabilitation Project
- Hurricane Season: Check your insurance coverage before storms threaten
- Corpus Christi NAACP holds prayer vigil to honor lives lost in Uvalde, Buffalo
- Sinton florist delivers flower arrangements for victims of Uvalde school shooting
- Corpus Christi veterans remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice
- Uvalde victim had her heart set on attending Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. They're now setting up a scholarship in her name.
Want to send us a news tip?
Put your name and contact information below so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
If you do not have a photo/video to submit, just click "OK" to skip that prompt.