City announces cold weather preparations ...

Just wanted to pass along this notice sent out by the City of Laredo in regard to cold weather that will be in our forecast tonight. This notice comes from City of Laredo public information officer Xochitl Mora Garcia:

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City of Laredo Ready To Help Neediest Residents Stay Warm

Shelter at Civic Center to open tonight as temperature is expected to hit near freezing

The City of Laredo will open the Laredo Civic Center tonight, starting at 6:00 p.m. to anyone seeking shelter from the cold. The Civic Center Auditorium, located at 2400 San Bernardo Avenue, will have cots, blankets, snacks, hot soup and coffee, as well as EMS on-site.

“We want to make sure that we provide a warm bed and food for some of our community’s neediest people,” said City of Laredo Mayor Raul G. Salinas. “It is important that we take care of them in these dangerously cold times,” he concluded.

Anyone who wishes to come to the shelter must register – simply sign-in, no identification will be required – to help Red Cross Volunteers manage the number of people in the facility. They will then be triaged to determine if there are any special needs, such as diet or health concerns, so that they can be processed accordingly. However, City Manager Carlos Villarreal stressed that no one will be turned away who is seeking rest, sleep or some hot food.

Unfortunately, no pets will be allowed in the shelter; only those who are trained to assist those individuals with special needs (i.e. blind, physically-challenged) will be allowed.

The facility is large enough o accommodate enough people, and spill-over, if necessary, will be placed in Civic Center meeting rooms.

Aside from paramedic presence on site, the Laredo Police Department will also be on site for security purposes only.

Additionally, City of Laredo Public Works crews are on stand-by to sand down any elevated bridges and highways, or respond to any other issues related to weather. The City of Laredo Utilities Department is doing preventative work to avoid line breaks because of the freezing temperatures.

The shelter will open at 6 p.m. and remain open until further notice. Breakfast will be provided for those individuals in the morning. The City of Laredo will evaluate the weather and situation to determine how long the shelter needs to remain open.

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-- Joe Rutland