Starr County hurricane guide¶
Starr County Emergency Management, in Rio Grande City, works with the County Judge, who leads emergency management for the county. The county's Emergency Management Coordinator is reached at the Sheriff's Office number. The county website does not publish hurricane, shelter, or evacuation information, so during a storm follow official announcements from the county and your city.
Checked on October 3, 2026
Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Starr County Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.
Emergency and information numbers¶
| Service | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 911 | Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger. |
| Emergency management office | 956-487-5571 | Starr County Emergency Management Coordinator. This is also the Sheriff's Office number. Not for emergencies. |
| County information line | 956-716-4800 | Starr County main line and County Judge's Office. Office line. Not for emergencies. |
| Sheriff's Office non-emergency | 956-487-5571 | Starr County Sheriff's Office, Rio Grande City. For police matters that are not emergencies. |
Official alerts and information¶
- Starr County Emergency Management: The county emergency management contact page. Website.
Evacuation centers¶
Open only when announced
Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.
Starr County does not publish a shelter list or shelter page. If a storm threatens, call Starr County Emergency Management or follow official county and city announcements to learn whether any shelter is open. Do not go to a shelter until it is announced as open.
Radio, TV and weather¶
Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.
Radio stations¶
| Station | Frequency | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| KFRQ | 94.5 FM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1) |
| KURV | 710 AM | English | Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2) |
Emergency Alert System roles come from the Texas Emergency Alert System Plan, approved in December 2017 and updated in January 2026, published by the Texas Association of Broadcasters.
NOAA Weather Radio¶
A weather radio turns itself on for warnings, even in the middle of the night. Set it to this frequency.
| Station | Frequency | Transmitter |
|---|---|---|
| WZ2541 | 162.475 MHz | Pharr Spanish (Spanish) |
| KHB33 | 162.400 MHz | Pharr |
TV stations¶
| Station | Channel | Network | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| KRGV-TV (KRGV Channel 5 News) | 5 | ABC | English |
| KVEO-TV (KVEO NBC 23) | 23 | NBC | English |
| KFXV (FOX Rio Grande Valley) | 60 | Fox | English |
| KNVO (Noticias 48 KNVO) | 48 | Univision | Spanish |
| KTLM (Telemundo 40) | 40 | Telemundo | Spanish |
Official forecasts¶
- National Weather Service Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 956-504-1432. Website.
- National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.
Power, water and debris¶
- AEP Texas: In the ERCOT competitive market you may buy power from a retail electric provider, but AEP Texas owns the lines and restores outages: report outages to AEP Texas, not to your retail provider. Phone: 866-223-8508. Website.
- Magic Valley Electric Cooperative: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 866-225-5683. Website.
- Medina Electric Cooperative: Also written 1-866-MEC-ELEC. Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 866-632-3532. Website.
After the storm: help for displaced residents¶
If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.
Where to start¶
- 2-1-1 Texas: The free 211 helpline for all of Texas, a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, answered by 25 Area Information Centers. Help finding food, housing, child care, crisis counseling, and disaster services, day or night. Dial 211 at any hour. If 211 does not connect, call 877-541-7905. Choose your language, then option 1 for local services or option 4 to register for STEAR. Phone: 211. Website.
Housing and shelter¶
- FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: After a federal declaration, these centers help you apply for aid in person. Use the locator to find the nearest one. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
Food¶
- South Texas Food Bank: Regional food bank for 8 counties. It supplies local food pantries and meal sites. Laredo office. For a food emergency outside distribution hours, call to ask about emergency food packages. Call or use its website to find a food pantry near you. Phone: 956-726-3120. Website.
Money, work and insurance¶
- DisasterAssistance.gov: Apply for FEMA aid after a federal declaration. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
- SBA disaster loans: Low interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses after a declared disaster. Phone: 800-659-2955. Website.
Legal help¶
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid: Free civil legal help for low-income residents of 68 counties in central, south, and southwest Texas, including the Coastal Bend, the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Austin. Call to apply, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Local number: 956-996-8752. Help in English and Spanish. Phone: 833-329-8752. Website.
Emotional support¶
- Border Region Behavioral Health Center crisis line: The local mental health authority for Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, and Zapata counties, under contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Answered at any hour, for a mental health or substance use crisis. You can also call or text 988. Phone: 800-643-1102. Website.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.
Relief organizations¶
- American Red Cross of South Texas: The Red Cross chapter for 7 counties in the Rio Grande Valley and deep south Texas, part of the Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region. Shelter, emergency help, and disaster relief. Harlingen office. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 956-423-0523. Website.
Cities and towns¶
Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.
Related guides¶
- Should I evacuate?
- What to expect at a hurricane shelter
- Hurricane supply list
- After a hurricane: the first 24 hours
- Insurance claims and disaster aid
Sources¶
Checked on October 3, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.
- https://www.co.starr.tx.us/page/Emergency
- https://www.co.starr.tx.us/page/County.Judge
- https://www.co.starr.tx.us/page/Sheriff
- https://www.weather.gov/source/nwr/JS/CCL.js
- https://api.weather.gov/zones/county/TXC427
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/KFRQ
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/KURV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/KRGV-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/KVEO-TV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/KFXV
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/KNVO
- https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/service/facility/search/KTLM
- https://www.aeptexas.com/
- https://www.magicvalley.coop/contact/
- https://www.medinaec.org/outages
- https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator
- https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
- https://www.sba.gov/disaster/
- https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/mental-health-substance-use/mental-health-substance-use-resources/find-your-local-mental-health-or-behavioral-health-authority
- https://www.211texas.org/about-2-1-1/
- https://www.feedingtexas.org/food-banks/
- https://www.trla.org/offices
- https://www.redcross.org/local/texas/gulf-coast/about-us/locations/south-texas.html