EDINBURG - To help residents prepare for the 2017 Hurricane season, emergency preparedness fairs will be held at Hidalgo County Community Resource Centers from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. the week of June 19.

For the eighth consecutive year, the Dare to Prepare fairs will provided information, presentations and resources to assist residents in planning for emergencies. The fairs - which are provided in partnership with the Texas A&M Colonias Program, Hidalgo County Office of Emergency Management, CRC directors, and local agencies and businesses - are free and open to the public.

The Dare to Prepare fairs will be held Monday, June 19 to Friday, June 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the following CRCs:

• South Tower CRC in Alamo (Monday)
• Progreso CRC (Tuesday)
• San Juan CRC (Wednesday)
• Monte Alto CRC (Thursday) and
• Endowment Community Center, La Blanca (Friday).

Door prizes and handouts will also be provided to participants.

The fairs are held at the start of hurricane season each year to stress the importance of being prepared for any emergency. High winds, heavy rainfall, tornadoes, and flooding can potentially cause loss of life and catastrophic damage to property. Two keys to weather safety are to prepare for the risks and to act on those preparations when alerted by emergency officials.

"It is critical for families to make preparation by having a proper emergency kit assembled and developing a Family Emergency Communication," said Hidalgo County Emergency Management Coordinator Ricardo Saldaña. "In the event of a hurricane or disaster, you and your family should know how to contact one another and have pre-determined meeting locations."