Dallas County added to disaster declaration for Hurricane Laura; evacuation sites in DFW

Aug. 25--As Hurricane Laura intensifies and moves toward Texas, two locations in the Dallas Fort-Worth area are being prepared to host evacuees fleeing from the storm.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday during a news conference that starting at 7 p.m. the Mesquite Reception Center at 15515 East I-20 will accept state buses transporting evacuees.

In addition, the Knights of Columbus Hall at 850 South I-45 will also be open in Ellis County at 7 p.m., Abbott said.

In a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon, the city of Mesquite said that evacuees will be transported to hotels, and that the state will use the 211 hotline for evacuees traveling in their own cars.

Other evacuation sites will be at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin and at 254 Gembler Rd. in San Antonio.

Abbott first declared a state of disaster on Sunday for 23 counties most directly affected by the storm's path -- which President Donald Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved for a federal emergency declaration Monday. On Tuesday, Abbott extended that to 36 more counties, including Dallas County. Tarrant County was not included in the disaster declaration, although Abbott can add counties in the future.

While Marco was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm over the weekend, Laura has increased in intensity and is expected to grow into a major Category 3 hurricane that will reach Texas and Louisiana by late Wednesday or early Thursday. As of Tuesday afternoon, sustained winds reached 75 miles per hour, with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center.

In addition to the evacuation sites, Texans will also have the option of sheltering in hotel and motel rooms, which Abbott pointed to as a safer option where people could remain isolated from others as the novel coronavirus continues to spread.

"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. "COVID-19 is going to be in Texas throughout the course of the hurricane."

To both safely evacuate residents and limit the potential for the virus to spread, Abbott said that fewer evacuees will be placed on state and local buses in an effort to ensure people can remain spread apart.

"It's not going to be as crowded as it has been in the past, which is one reason why we have the need for so many buses to be able to transport people. But also make multiple trips, so that through a reduction in the number of people in the bus, we will be able to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19," Abbott said.

Personal protective equipment, such as face masks, and supplies to disinfect surfaces have already been stored on some buses, like those that traveled to Beaumont from San Antonio, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said.

COVID-19 testing will also be offered at sites where people must gather, although specific locations and times have not been determined yet, Kidd said.

Texas cities in the Gulf Coast of Texas have already issued mandatory evacuation orders and official evacuation routes. A full list of evacuation orders can be found at: gov.texas.gov/hurricane

Abbott urged residents in the affected areas to heed officials' warnings.

"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," Abbott said. "So please heed local warnings so that you can take the action in advance that is needed."

Last month, Texas had its first test of bracing for a hurricane amid a pandemic when Hurricane Hanna left thousands without power and flooded areas of South Texas. This week also marks the third anniversary of when Hurricane Harvey touched down in Texas, which left an estimated $125 billion in damage and took over 75 lives.

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