Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

PRESS RELEASE — The Texas Division of Emergency Management today announced the opening of a virtual shelter reception center to aid Hurricane Laura evacuees. Prior to landfall all Hurricane Laura, the state of Texas, in partnership with local officials in San Antonio, Austin, and Mesquite operated evacuee reception centers to ensure residents of Texas and Louisiana have a safe place to stay. With the closure of in-person reception centers, assistance to evacuees will continue with the virtual shelter reception center.

Evacuees seeking assistance should call 1-888-991-5229, and be prepared to provide documentation, over the phone and upon arrival, demonstrating residency in one of the affected Texas counties.

Eligible Texas Counties: Jasper, Jefferson, Newton, Orange and Sabine

Eligible Louisiana Parishes: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Grant. Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Sabine, Vermilion, Vernon and Winn

Individuals from outside the impacted areas will not be eligible for sheltering assistance but will be provided additional information on alternative resources. Those individuals should call 2-1-1 for assistance.

As of today, the state of Texas continues to provide non-congregate sheltering for over 10,000 evacuees in more than 3,500 hotel rooms. The Texas Division of Emergency Management will continue to work in coordination with our partners in Louisiana as both states recover from Hurricane Laura.