Weslaco extends local disaster declaration to May 7 after March 27 storms

The Weslaco City Commission voted March 31, 2026, to extend a local disaster declaration to May 7 following severe rainfall and flash flooding tied to a storm that began March 27, 2025.

City emergency-management officials told the commission the March storm exceeded initial forecasts and prompted round-the-clock response, rescues and dewatering; the declaration preserves a conduit for state resources while the city moves into a multi-week recovery phase.

Chief (Office of Emergency Management) said the National Weather Service initially forecast 1 to 2 inches of rain for the event but the situation intensified and triggered tornado warnings and flash-flood warnings for the region. “That night we went into operation,” the chief said, describing continuous operations through the following Sunday, with public works crews dewatering roads and conducting rescues.

The chief said Mayor Gonzales signed an initial emergency declaration to open access to state resources and to notify the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the governor’s office; the governor later issued a separate disaster declaration covering South Texas. “When the mayor signs that paper, it puts a lot of wheels in motion so we can be able to ask for resources,” the chief said.

Commissioners and staff described mutual-aid and nonprofit support already in place: ambulances and crews from Laredo were deployed during the response, Salvation Army and the American Red Cross were engaged, and national volunteer groups including Team Rubicon were expected to assist with more extensive recovery work. The city has requested faith-based volunteer teams to help homeowners who cannot remove wet drywall or otherwise clear homes unaided.

Commissioners discussed the length of the extension. Mayor Gonzales asked the commission to consider a 30-day extension to avoid repeated short renewals. The city attorney advised that the 30-day review requirement cited in the meeting applies to a governor’s declaration rather than the city’s local declaration. “It’s my understanding that these disaster declarations can only be for 30 days and reviewed every 30 days,” the city attorney said, then clarified the timeline question during the discussion.

After discussion, Commissioner Farias moved and Commissioner Pedraza seconded a motion to extend the city’s local disaster declaration to May 7; the commission voted in favor and the motion passed. The extension aligns the local declaration with the commission’s next regular meeting schedule and provides continuity for debris removal, roll-off services and other recovery operations.

City staff outlined operational priorities during the extension: continued debris pickup (including scheduled curbside pickup for residents who cannot move debris to roll-off sites), additional street sweeping, pre-bagged sand caches and sandbags staged at Public Works for vulnerable residents, and continued coordination with neighboring cities for shared equipment and crews. Public-works staff said they will post instructions and reporting procedures through the city communications channels for residents to request curbside pickup and other assistance.

Officials said recovery will likely extend beyond the May 7 review date. The chief told the commission that while past improvements have reduced the scale of rescues compared with previous major events, recovery work — including inlet cleaning, capacity projects and home repairs — often takes weeks to months.

The commission adjourned after approving the extension.