Heat advisories from the National Weather Service have been frequent this summer, and the NWS predicts more will come.
Excessive heat along the Coastal Bend is increasing water evaporation and affecting the water supply. The city of Corpus Christi issued Stage 1 drought restrictions and opened cooling centers for residents who need to get out of the heat.
The Corpus Christi Water Department reported that water sources have dropped to a combined level of 40 percent full.
Choke Canyon Reservoir, built to store over 695,000 acre-feet of water, is 36.1 percent full; Lake Corpus Christi, constructed to hold over 242,000 acre-feet of water, is at 50.9 percent. The Water Department serves nearly 500,000 people in the Corpus Christi area.
Phase 1 of mandatory drought restrictions are in place for water conservation along the Coastal Bend.
Residents can all play a part in keeping people safe by adhering to drought restrictions, the city of Corpus Christi announced. Under Phase 1, residents are allowed to water yards one day a week on each address’ trash collection day. Watering must take place before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. The city will monitor compliance.
City crews will prioritize response to repairs and leaks to conserve water.
Other suggestions for water conservation include:
- avoiding water run-off on streets and sidewalks
- checking for water leaks around the home
- only washing full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher
“It is imperative that, as a community, we all do our part to conserve water by adhering to the Stage 1 water restrictions,” Mayor Paulette Guajardo said. “We have shown our resiliency and ability to step up and take care of our precious water reserves during previous droughts, and I know we can do this again. I applaud each of you for doing your part to conserve water.”
Learn more about water conservation and other helpful resources at cctexas.com/conserve.
In addition to the potential water shortage, the National Weather Service predicted a 50-60 percent chance that July will be hotter than usual with heat continuing through the summer. The service predicts September will have a 40-50 percent chance of hotter-than-normal temperatures as well.
Several heat advisories have been posted by the National Weather Service.
The city of Corpus Christi provides cooling centers for residents from 1-6 p.m. on exceptionally hot days.
Free transportation to the sites is available via the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority. To learn more, go to ccrta.org and click on “Cooling Centers” at the top of the webpage.
The NWS recommends the following to Coastal Bend residents during extreme heat:
- Never leave children or pets unattended in a vehicle.
- Check in regularly on the elderly.
- When outdoors, drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning.
