SAN ANTONIO — The number of people seeking shelter in Bexar County stands at nearly 1,900 as of Wednesday afternoon.
The City of San Antonio and Bexar County is assisting with Hurricane Laura evacuations. According to a press release from the San Antonio Fire Department, the Alamo City has been "asked to assist with sheltering a very small number of displaced residents."
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According to SAFD spokesman Joe Arrington, all displaced residents and evacuees need to go to 200 Gembler Road to be checked in and to receive their shelter locations. Locations will not be made public in an effort to prevent potential evacuees from showing up directly to shelter before being accounted for, the press release states.
Tuesday evening, several buses and lines of cars packed with families were lined up ready to check-in at the site. According to San Antonio Fire, 300 people were in line Tuesday night.
The city said all the evacuees will be sheltered at area hotels. The American Red Cross is helping out in the effort.
Executive Director of the Greater San Antonio Chapter Michael Vela said our city is in need of 160 volunteers.
"We are readily providing any PPE gear if necessary and face masks," he said.
The Red Cross volunteers will be helping checking-in the families at local hotels.
"I've got my grand-baby, my husband. We just grabbed some clothes," one woman from Orange County said. "And came. We pray and hope we have something to go back home too. We will. Anything is possible.'
Another man who was in line said he learned a lot of things after surviving Hurricane Katrina.
"When they say leave take it seriously," he said.
According to San Antonio Fire, The Alamo Regional Command Center at the EOC was activated by the Governor. There is shelter space that had previously been identified in case of a large scale evacuation.
As of right now, Laura is expected to be a Category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall which is expected to be late Wednesday or early Thursday.
WATCH: Hurricane Hunters fly into Tropical Storm Laura (August 24, 2020)
