From Conversation to Action: Calexico Volunteers Prepare for the Next Storm
From Conversation to Action: Calexico Volunteers Prepare for the Next Storm
Jesus Solano and a team of community volunteers are taking a proactive approach to storm preparedness—one sandbag at a time.
By Calexico Now | Ahora TV
August 29, 2026
Sometimes community action begins with something as simple as a conversation.
For Jesus Solano, that conversation happened Monday during a regular community meeting at Calexico City Hall.
The topic was storm preparedness and the possibility of El Niño weather affecting the region. Communities across Imperial County and California were preparing, and the question for Calexico was straightforward:
Are we prepared?
That conversation quickly turned into action.
Solano, who is a member of the Calexico Host Lions Club, is also involved in independent community efforts through the Calexico Volunteer Alliance Group, where he works alongside volunteers who step up when their community needs a helping hand.
The result was a sandbag-filling pilot program designed to help residents prepare before severe weather arrives.
“Instead of reacting, we’re being proactive. We prepare before the storm, not after it arrives.”
From Monday's Conversation to Wednesday Morning
By 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Phase One of the sandbagging pilot program was already underway at Calexico Fire Station No. 1.
What began as an idea just days earlier had become a real community effort.
But Solano knew there was still work to do.
Phase Two was scheduled for Saturday morning, and much of the preparation happened behind the scenes.
Friday Morning: Building a Better Way to Fill Sandbags
Friday morning started with coffee and a phone call.
Solano contacted La Brucherie in El Centro to find an economical price for the pipe needed to construct a homemade sandbag-filling jig—a device designed to make the process of filling sandbags faster and easier.
After determining that 8-inch and 6-inch diameter pipes would work with the bags being used, Solano was preparing to make the trip to El Centro when Community Services Chair Pat Ureña called.
Her message was simple:
“The storm is coming.”
For Solano, that reinforced the importance of what the volunteers were doing.
The goal wasn't to wait until Calexico was already dealing with flooding.
It was to get ready beforehand.
Then the Weather Changed
As Solano and Ureña headed toward El Centro, the weather began changing dramatically.
Looking toward Mount Signal, they could see weather moving into the area. Strong winds picked up, followed by blowing dust.
By the time they reached La Brucherie, the conditions were intense.
“We were eating sand,” Solano recalled.
When they entered the business, it wasn't raining yet.
By the time they walked back outside, however, rain had already begun to fall.
Fortunately, the system brought mostly wind, dust and a few drops of rain to their location.
No major flooding followed.
But for the volunteers, the experience was a reminder of why preparation matters.
The storm wasn't the major event they were preparing for.
It was a warning—and an opportunity to prepare.
From La Brucherie to Home Depot—and Back to Calexico
After picking up the pipe, the team continued to Home Depot for lumber, screws and other materials needed to construct the sandbag-filling jig.
Then they headed back toward Calexico.
On the way, they came across residents near Fire Station No. 1 who were looking for sandbags.
They stopped.
They helped.
Because that's what community volunteers do.
Before heading home, they made one more stop at La Fuente to say hello to Eddie, one of their supporters.
And, naturally, they picked up a little something to eat along the way.
Then it was back to work.
Solano arrived home shortly before 7:00 p.m. Friday and unloaded the materials.
But there was still one question:
Could the sandbag-filling jig be completed in time for Saturday morning?
“I’ll Start.”
Ureña asked Solano if he thought he could get it done for the next morning.
Rather than promise something he wasn't sure he could finish, Solano gave a simple answer:
“I'll start.”
And he did.
From approximately 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Friday, Solano worked on constructing the sandbag-filling jig.
As the project neared completion, another problem became obvious.
The finished jig was heavy.
Very heavy.
There was no way Solano was going to lift it into the Calexico Volunteer Alliance Group van by himself.
It was already late, and calling a volunteer at that hour wasn't exactly easy.
So Solano did what many grandparents would do when they need an extra pair of hands:
He called one of his grandkids.
The first grandson was heading to a game in Imperial.
So Solano called another.
This time, he got the answer he needed.
A little before 10:00 p.m., his grandson called back.
“Are you still out there?”
“Yep. I need help.”
And he came over.
Together, they finished the final touches, put away the tools, lifted the heavy jig and loaded it into the van.
It was nearly 11:00 p.m.
There was no big ceremony.
No spotlight.
Just a grandfather, his grandson and a community project that needed to get done.
Saturday, 5:30 a.m.: Phase Two
Just a few hours later, Solano and the volunteers were back at Calexico Fire Station No. 1.
Saturday.
5:30 a.m.
Phase Two was underway.
The homemade sandbag-filling jig was ready to be put to the test.
For Solano, however, the project represents something much bigger than sandbags.
It represents the importance of preparing a community before a crisis happens.
Calexico's Infrastructure Challenge
The effort also highlights some of the challenges Calexico faces when severe weather arrives.
Parts of the city have aging infrastructure, and some drainage systems were not designed to handle large amounts of water falling within a short period of time.
And there is another challenge:
Staffing.
Solano points to limited staffing within city operations, including Parks and Streets and Public Works.
But he emphasizes that the issue is not a criticism of the employees working in those departments.
Quite the opposite.
The people who are there are being asked to accomplish a tremendous amount with limited personnel and resources.
When severe weather hits, Public Works, Parks and Streets, Police and Fire all have responsibilities across the city.
They simply cannot be everywhere at once.
That's where community volunteers can make a difference.
Volunteers Don't Replace City Workers. They Help.
Solano's message is important:
Volunteers aren't there to replace city employees.
They're there to lend a hand.
Prepared volunteers can help communities respond faster, assist neighbors and provide an additional layer of support when city resources are stretched.
And perhaps most importantly, volunteers can help prepare before the emergency happens.
This Week's Weather Gave Calexico Something Valuable: Time
It may sound simple, but time can be one of the most valuable resources during an emergency.
This week's weather gave the community time to:
Prepare.
Organize.
Test ideas.
Identify problems.
Improve the process.
Learn what works.
Get ready for what may come next.
Calexico hasn't experienced the serious flooding everyone is preparing for.
But that doesn't mean the community should wait until the water is already in the streets.
With aging infrastructure, limited drainage capacity and limited staffing, preparedness becomes a shared responsibility.
It's not if. It's when—and how bad.
A Community Effort
The story of this sandbag pilot program isn't really about one person.
It's about what can happen when people decide to help.
A Lions Club member.
Community volunteers.
City employees.
Community stakeholders.
Residents.
And, apparently, a couple of grandkids who can be called in for late-night reinforcement.
Every helping hand counts.
What started Monday as a conversation at City Hall became Phase One on Wednesday morning.
Friday became a day of preparation.
Friday night became a construction project.
And by 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Phase Two was underway.
That's how community works.
Not always with big budgets or large organizations.
Sometimes it starts with a conversation, a cup of coffee, a trip to the hardware store, a few volunteers and someone willing to say:
“I'll start.”
Community Members Stepped Up
The sandbagging effort also brought together people from different parts of the community—including local residents, volunteers and community leaders.
Among those who came out to help were Blanca Morales and Camilo Garcia, who were the only City Council candidates who participated in the sandbagging effort, according to organizers.
Their presence was a reminder that community involvement doesn't always happen during a campaign event or behind a podium. Sometimes it means showing up early in the morning, getting your hands dirty and helping neighbors prepare.
For the volunteers, that kind of participation is exactly what this effort is about.
Showing up. Helping out. Being part of the solution.
The sandbag pilot wasn't about political parties or campaign signs. It was about Calexico residents working together to prepare for whatever weather may come next.
❤️ FOR THE LOVE OF CALEXICO
For Jesus Solano and the volunteers working alongside him, the message is simple:
Prepare. Volunteer. Work together. Lend a hand.
Because when the next storm comes, the strength of Calexico won't only be measured by its infrastructure.
It will also be measured by its people.
🦁 Calexico Host Lions Club
“Where There’s a Need, There’s a Lion.”
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