Because of the pandemic, evacuees will be held in hotels instead of in one or a few large shelters.
Abbott said a shelter was being set up at Circuit of the Americas.Īustin and Travis, Williamson and Hays counties activated the Capital Area Shelter Hub Plan at the state’s request Tuesday. In Austin, emergency management staff are preparing to accept as many as 3,000 evacuees to house in hotels in the city. “Now, those points and times and locations have not been determined yet, but as a community sees the need to open a shelter, we will support them, sending in PPE and then as soon as practical, we’ll get testing teams in there as well,” Kidd said. To combat the spread of the coronavirus while still getting residents to safety, Abbott said the number of evacuees allowed on state and local buses will be reduced, causing them to take more trips, and personal protective equipment will be provided at shelters.Ĭoronavirus testing will be provided at some shelters, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Department of Emergency Management. “Remember, just because a hurricane is coming to Texas does not mean that COVID-19 either has or is going to leave Texas,” Abbott said. Unlike the hurricanes before it, Laura is expected to land during a pandemic, which has left more than 10,000 Texans dead so far. “Those who stay behind may be caught in a situation where rescue teams may be challenged in being able to rescue from a situation that could cause you to lose your life, so please heed local warnings so you can take the action in advance that is needed,” he said. The hurricane might exit Texas as early as the end of Thursday, Abbott said. River flooding and flash flooding will be possible with the rain, he said. Heavy rainfall is expected with the hurricane and tornadoes will be possible, Abbott warned. The Texas A&M Forest Service has incident management teams, including chainsaw crews, ready to help clear fallen trees.
Some of the most wooded regions in the state are in Laura’s path, Abbott said. The center of the storm was heading west-northwest at 17 mph. Tuesday, Laura was about 510 miles southeast of Galveston and had sustained winds of 80 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Hurricane Laura will be similar to hurricanes Ike and Rita, Abbott said, which delivered more wind damage and less like Hurricane Harvey, which produced much heavier flooding.Īt 4 p.m. Storm surge and hurricane warnings were in effect Tuesday afternoon for areas along the Gulf Coast from San Luis Pass, south of Houston, to the mouth of the Mississippi River in eastern Louisiana. Water rescue boat teams, helicopters, buses, high-water vehicles and additional law enforcement and emergency response officials were being mustered for the storm.Ībbott said law enforcement officers would respond to the hurricane to help prevent looting and protect private property. “Also, property anywhere near where that surge will take place is subject to devastating damage.” “People anywhere near where the eye of the hurricane will come ashore will need to be very aware of this high water surge and the devastation that it could wreck, being very aware to make sure that you are not near that because it can easily sweep you away, causing you to lose your life,” Abbott said. “The timing issue is that we have only a few more hours for people to make sure they take the action that is needed to ensure their safety and the safety of their property,” Abbott said Tuesday afternoon.Ībbott said Laura might land as a Category 3 hurricane and could produce a storm surge of 10 feet of water where it comes ashore in Texas.
0 kommentar(er)
