Hurricane Beulah Exhibit

Hurricane Beulah Exhibit Photography exhibit chronicling the efforts of health professionals and local volunteers in Starr County after Hurricane Beulah Date and Time: Exhibit is open to the public from June 1 – June 30, 2011 Ramirez Library regular hours Monday-Thursday 7:30 am - 11:00 pm Friday 7:30 am - 5:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Sunday 1:00 pm - 11:00 pm Directions: Mario E. Ramirez, M.D. Library Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC) 2102 Treasure Hills Blvd. Harlingen, Texas 78550 (956) 365-8850 Contact: Greysi Reyna (Reynag@uthscsa.edu) Description: Hurricane Beulah is still recognized as one of the most significant storms to make landfall in Texas. On September 21, 1967 the storm moved into the mouth of the Rio Grande, and inundated South Texas with heavy rainfall. Hurricane Beulah caused extensive flooding on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. To escape the rising floodwaters, over 14,000 refugees from Camargo, Tamaulipas crossed the border into the small town of Roma, Texas in desperate need of food, shelter, and medical care. It was in Roma that Dr. Mario E. Ramirez, the only physician in town and Starr County's Public Health Service Director, rose to action in the face of a crisis. For several weeks, Dr. Ramirez along with volunteers from the local community, UT Medical Branch in Galveston, Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio as well as the U.S. Army worked to help the hurricane victims. It was during this crisis that a local photographer followed Dr. Ramirez and captured the heroic efforts of Dr. Ramirez and countless volunteers. The photographs were taken by George Tuley, a Rio Grande City teacher, who would later go on to a 39-year career as a photojournalist at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Mr. Tuley gave these historical photos to Dr. Ramirez who in turn provided these to the Ramirez Library for the community to view. The photographs portray the use of makeshift medical equi