WESLACO – Weslaco city crews are preparing sandbags to give out in case of flooding later this week.

From the road, someone might think a south Weslaco building is abandoned. Inside, it’s buzzing with activity.

"If we're preparing last minute, it's not going to work,” said Weslaco Fire Chief Antonio Lopez.

Lopez and city crews are taking no chances. 

"One of the main things we're prepping today is the creation of our sandbag teams and having our Public Works Department to have sandbags ready in case we need it for the general public,” he said.

Lopez said other cities are eyeing the tropics and preparing for the worse.

"This being hurricane season, with a possible storm brewing in the Caribbean over the Yucatan, it gets us all prepared and makes us all need to get things prepared,” he said. “If we do our preparation and there is no rain, we are successful. If we do get rain, we are prepared.”

The city is also cleaning out drainage ditches and pipes to make sure floodwaters have an easy way out. The Public Works Department has tested its three high-capacity water pumps.

Lopez said you can play a part in helping city crews. If you notice trees or brush in a drainage ditch, call City Hall immediately so they can clean in preparation for rainfall. The Weslaco Public Works Department can be reached at 956-973-3146.

Neither Weslaco nor other cities are yet distributing sandbags, Lopez said. He said they will coordinate at emergency meetings and notify the public if Rio Grande Valley cities begin distribution later this week.