L-3 Vertex personnel bring T-45 “Goshawk” aircraft into hangars at NAS Kingsville to protect them from potential tropical storm force winds and heavy rain as a result of Hurricane Alex. (Photo by Fifi Kieschnick, NAS Kingsville Public Affairs). Residents of Kingsville and the surrounding area braced themselves as Hurricane Alex made landfall as a category 2 hurricane around 9 p.m. Wednesday just 100 miles South of Brownsville with winds of 105 mph.

The hurricane pushed heavy rainfall and wind gusts of 40 mph into the Kingsville-Bishop area by Wednesday however no extreme wind damage was reported.

By Thursday morning NAS Kingsville had reported 4.04 inches of rain since early Wednesday.

NAS Kingsville Commanding Officer Capt. Mark McLaughlin has kept the base in Modified Condition of Readiness 3 (COR 3M). Modified COR 3M is basically the same as COR 4, a normal destructive weather condition that is set when tropical storm or hurricane force winds are expected.

T-45 Goshawks are stowed nose-to-tail in the hangars at NAS Kingsville to protect them from potential tropical storm force winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Alex. (Photo by AC3 Kiana Kahlbaum, NAS Kingsville Public Affairs). Base personnel made initial preparations to prepare the base for strong winds and heavy rain, while Training Air Wing TWO flew-off most of their T-45 “Goshawk” aircraft. The remaining planes were stowed noseto tail in hangars.

“Contract workers from L-3 Vertex and personnel from the CNATRA Maintenance Contracts Detachment put the remaining aircraft nose-to-tail in the hangars yesterday to protect them from heavy winds and driving rain,” McLaughlin said. “Public Works personnel eliminated potential missile hazards throughout the base that could potentially cause property damage should a sudden gust of wind get a hold of it. They also checked all drainage systems to ensure they were clog-free and capable of handling rainwater.

“Safety of our resources, especially our personnel is paramount,” the base commander said. He authorized administrative leave for civilian personnel so that everyone could make it home safely before the storm hit this area.

The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi notified Kleberg County officials twice of a tornado warning Wednesday night but said they had yet to confirm any reports of actual tornados in Kleberg County.

“We issued a tornado warning late Wednesday night that looked like it could have produced a tornado and it would of tracked from just south of the naval air station to the south side of town however nothing was confirmed,” John Metz, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the NWS, said.

According to Tomas Sanchez, Kleberg County Emergency Management Coordinator, there were reports of a tornado east of NAS Kingsville and in the southwest area of Kleberg County, and as soon as the reports came in both the Kingsville Police Department and Kleberg County Sheriff’s Department sent out officers to patrol and get a visual, however nothing was found.

“Once we received the first call from the National Weather Service, Police Chief Rick Torres and Sheriff Ed Mata sent out their officers as calls were coming in from the citizens that they could hear what sounded like a tornado, but when the officers went out there to investigate all that was found was wind and rain,” Sanchez said.

The outdoor warning sirens were activated once a second and more definite warning was issued.

“Shortly after the first warning, the second warning was issued and the NWS called me and said there was a definite strong signature of a tornado forming nine miles north of Kingsville, so based on the information we had and the short notice, we decided to activate the sirens,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said although citizens have been notified in the past that once sirens went off they were supposed to turn on the television or radio to seek the latest information, phone calls flooded into the 9-1-1 emergency call center and the phone lines were extremely tied up.

“My office received many calls from citizens asking if a shelter was set up or what to do, and we handled their questions as best as we could,” Sanchez said.

“However the plan has always been that the best thing to do is get to an immediate news source, such as the television or radio for the latest information.”

The sirens were activated until it was determined by officials that there was no immediate danger to citizens.

“Once we got the all clear sign and everything cleared up, the sirens were turned off and we continued our operations as normal,” Sanchez said.

Kleberg County was under a tornado watch until late Thursday night as a precaution.

Sanchez said soon after the sirens were turned off his office began receiving calls from citizens who heard a loud noise that sounded like a train and upon further investigation it was determined that the noise was a steam line release in the utilities unit at the Celanese plant in Bishop.

According to Shelly Nelson with Celanese, at approximately 11:00 p.m. Wednesday night, the Celanese facility experienced a steam line release in the utilities unit and the loud noise was due to the pressure on the line.

“There were no injuries associated with the incident. The safety mechanisms in the process control systems worked as designed and experienced employees in the unit responded appropriately to the incident.” Nelson said.

“Steam is produced at the Celanese Bishop facility to provide energy to the operating units. Boilers heat water to produce steam which is piped to manufacturing processes to produce materials including chemicals, plastics and pharmaceuticals,” she added.

Celanese reported that the steam release was isolated and resources were mobilized to repair the line.

Nelson said a root cause analysis would be conducted to determine the cause of the release so appropriate actions are implemented to prevent a future recurrence.

City of Kingsville Emergency Management Coordinator John Garcia said once they were notified of the steam line release their first concern was if there were any hazardous toxins that were released, but the fire department was able to confirm that there were no direct hazards.

Garcia also said citizens reported some minor flooding on city streets however they drained off rapidly and there were also a few power outages including both the Kingsville Police Department and Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office, which had to use auxiliary power after lightening struck a transformer.

“AEP Texas was quick to respond to our calls and by the use of the emergency generators we were able to keep 9-1-1 and all other operations running smoothly,” Garcia said.

Overall, both Sanchez and Garcia see Hurricane Alex as a learning experience and a good practice for any future hurricanes.

“This has been an educational event for a lot of people and has been very helpful,” Garcia said. “The county has been very resourceful and different law enforcement agencies including border patrol, TAMUK University Police Department, and others have been great to work with have been willing to help which is very much appreciated.”

Sanchez agreed and said, “This is just the beginning and we still have five months to go in hurricane season so all lessons learned in this hurricane should be used for better preparations in the future. The government can only do so much with the resources and it’s up to the citizens to meet us halfway.”

Health officials from the city-county health department are offering the following health-related precautions for people in areas where heavy rains may have occurred as a result of Hurricane Alex.

Mosquitoes

• Standing water after

floods is a breeding place for mosquitoes. Drain all standing water and empty water from outdoor items

such as old tires, cans

and flowerpot bases. • Protect yourself with

an insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535.

Always follow label

directions. • Make sure door, porch

and window screens

are in good condition.

Heat

• Drink plenty of fluids

while working outside. • Take frequent breaks

to conserve energy and

avoid heat stress. • People with heart conditions

and other illnesses

should avoid

strenuous exertion. • At the first signs of

heat illness – dizziness, heavy sweating, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps – move to a cooler location, rest and slowly drink a cool liquid. Seek medical attention immediately

if conditions do

not approve.

Environmental Hazards

• Snakes, bats and other

wildlife may seek shelter in trees, homes and vehicles. They are often injured in heavy rains and winds. Do

not handle any wildlife.

• Seek immediate treatment

if bitten or injured by an animal.

Beware of displaced

pets.

Hygiene and Injuries

• Wear shoes in postflood

areas to reduce the chances of punctures or cuts from nails

and other sharp contaminated

objects. • Persons with puncture

wounds or cuts exposed to flood water could be at risk of contracting tetanus and may need to have a

tetanus shot to prevent

infection. • Do not allow children

to play in or near floodwater or storm drains.