First border buoys pass beneath Colombia Bridge near Laredo

The first individual border buoys drifted beneath the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge early Saturday as officials continued monitoring rising Rio Grande water levels, according to the Laredo Fire Department.

The first buoy passed beneath the bridge at about 5:45 a.m., fire officials said. As of 8:22 a.m., eight individual buoys had passed beneath the bridge.

The buoys were swept into the Rio Grande earlier this week after floodwaters in Eagle Pass dislodged them from a staging area at a park.

City officials warned that the buoys, which can weigh up to 2,000 pounds each, could pose a hazard to bridges, emergency personnel and anyone near the river.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center remained at Level II, or Escalated Response Conditions.

Personnel continued monitoring conditions at the Colombia Bridge and World Trade Bridge.

Additional first responders remained available, and response assets had been repositioned to areas of concern, including the international bridges, El Pico Canal and the Jefferson Water Treatment Plant.

The city also coordinated with Public Works to ensure personnel and equipment were ready if any buoys became snagged or obstructed critical locations.

As of Saturday morning, the Rio Grande measured about 18.39 feet at the Colombia Bridge, according to fire officials. The river was expected to reach about 24 feet there by noon. Elsewhere in Laredo, river levels were projected to reach about 5 feet by noon, well below the city’s minor flood stage of 10 feet.

Fire officials said they would continue monitoring conditions and provide additional updates as the situation developed.