EAGLE PASS, Texas, July 17 (Our Texas Times) — The National Weather Service forecast called for the Rio Grande to keep rising and crest at moderate flood stage Friday night. In Eagle Pass, Texas, that forecast quickly became real: more than 100 federal border-security buoys broke free in the flooded river Thursday, drifted toward the city and forced officials to briefly close two international bridges with Mexico.
The closures lasted about three hours and reopened just after midnight Friday, according to Eagle Pass city officials.
What happened in Eagle Pass?
City Manager Homero Balderas said the city shut down bridge traffic while officials figured out whether the drifting buoys posed a danger. He said the buoys did not immediately threaten the bridges.
No injuries or bridge damage have been reported.
The buoys were part of a federal border project. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said a government contractor had staged the buoys at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass and was working with the agency to retrieve them. The spokesperson said the buoys were not ready to be deployed or anchored in the river.
CBP has said waterborne barriers are meant to create a safer border environment for agents and to deter migrants from trying to cross through dangerous waterways.
Why did the bridges close?
Officials closed the bridges as a precaution while they checked whether the floating barriers could interfere with traffic or create a safety risk under the spans.
Balderas said the bridges are a major source of funding for the city, which is one reason officials moved quickly to restore traffic once they were satisfied the buoys were not an immediate threat.
Where are the buoys going?
Texas officials said the barriers were carried downstream from the Quemado area. In Laredo, officials activated the city’s emergency operations center and said drones were being used to track the buoys. City officials there warned that debris could eventually threaten its four international bridges and said one or more crossings could be closed if conditions became unsafe.
Officials also told residents not to approach or touch the barriers.
What does the flood forecast mean now?
The key forecast source is the National Weather Service. Its outlook, as cited by officials and local reports, showed the Rio Grande rising on Thursday and expected to crest at moderate flood stage Friday night.
For people traveling near the border, the main takeaway is simple: check bridge status before heading out, and stay away from floating debris or barriers in the river. In this case, the weather and the border infrastructure problem were tied together by the same thing — a swollen Rio Grande.
