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EMA warns of wildfire risk, recounts major winter outages and outlines VOAD and donations plan
Summary
Cameron County EMA reported a winter event that left more than 80% of the county without power, described improvements to emergency planning and a new Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) structure, and warned of increased wildfire risk from dry debris and windy conditions.
Laura Narby and Blaine Manginell of the county Emergency Management Agency briefed commissioners on recent winter storms, outage coordination and preparedness measures.
Mangunell said one major winter event produced outages that affected over 80% of the county and prompted coordination for warming shelters and community support. EMA staff urged residents to report power and phone outages to their service providers and to contact EMA if problems persist beyond 24 hours so the agency can escalate unresolved service interruptions.
Mangunell also warned of elevated wildfire risk as seasonal conditions change, advising residents to be cautious with outdoor burning and debris. He described updates to the county’s emergency response and annex plans, the establishment of a VOAD to coordinate volunteer groups during disasters, and a new donations management system to better process contributions during large‑scale emergency events.
The EMA update stressed proactive coordination and preparation for both seasonal hazards and larger disasters, and encouraged public reporting of utility outages to improve response.
