AUSTIN, Texas — The day after Hurricane Laura made landfall, the City of Austin and the counties of Travis, Hays and Williamson announced the intake facility at Circuit of the Americas would remain open until 6 p.m. Aug. 28. That reception center is now closed as of Saturday afternoon.
Officials are working to prepare longer-term shelter for those who are unable to return to their communities. Evacuees who needed to stay in Austin were initially directed to the Austin Convention Center (ACC), but as of Sunday afternoon, staff were no longer present at the ACC, the City said.
City officials said Sunday that evacuees from Louisiana can text “LAShelter” to 898-211 to get information, and evacuees from Texas can call 211 for information. Evacuees from both states can also call the Red Cross for shelter information at 866-438-4636. If evacuees need to register with FEMA for disaster assistance call 800-621-3362, visit DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA app.
Many evacuees were from the Galveston area, which is no longer under a mandatory evacuation.
Those who arrived by bus returned home Friday morning while those who came by personal vehicle can return after registering their entire traveling party with hotel staff, government officials or the Red Cross.
The City said that a bus carrying evacuees from Beaumont and Port Arthur left Saturday morning. Twenty-four buses carrying 452 evacuees took residents back to the Galveston area on Friday.
Depending on the number of people who remain in the Austin area after Friday, officials may consolidate shelters. The City said 110 guests stayed at the convention center overnight Friday.
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As of Thursday, the Capital Area Shelter Hub run by the City of Austin, Hays County, Travis County and Williamson County has housed about 3,000 evacuees at 21 hotels and the Austin Convention Center, split accordingly:
- Bell County: 35 hotel rooms utilized
- Hays County: 65 hotel rooms utilized
- Travis County: 795 hotel rooms utilized and the Austin Convention Center
- Williamson County: 197 hotel rooms utilized