The threat of Hurricane Bret, being rated at a force four, led to Padre Island and Corpus Christi being evacuated. Here, wise residents, under the advance winds and rains that lead the main storm, jam Hwy. 37 heading NW towards San Antonio out of Corpus Christi. Photo by DAVE GATLEY/FEMA News Photo |
Five years ago today, Hurricane Bret pounded the Texas coast with category 3 winds of 125 mph and rainfall in excess of 24 inches. Thousands of people heeded the state’s recommendation to evacuate coastal cities in anticipation of the storm. Fortunately, in the last hours before the storm struck, it turned west and made landfall in the sparsely populated counties between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, causing only $32.7 million in property damage.
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One of 12 HAZMAT teams competes in the obstacle course at the 8th Annual New Mexico HAZMAT Challenge in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
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FEMA Supports HAZMAT Competition
FEMA's regional HAZMAT Team participated in the 8th Annual New Mexico HAZMAT Challenge. Team members assisted in the operation of four of the eight simulations or "props." Twelve first responder teams representing three Region VI states competed in this event, which places a heavy emphasis on HAZMAT training as well as competition.
This is the third consecutive year that FEMA Region VI has participated in the event, which is hosted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and co-sponsored by FEMA, EPA, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, the New Mexico State Police, Oklahoma State University, and Intel, Inc.
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