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Brazos County prepares for Hurricane Laura evacuees

Posted at 9:39 PM, Aug 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-25 22:39:05-04

COLLEGE STATION, TX — As Hurricane Laura inches closer to landfall, some Texans have already started evacuating and have been making their way to Bryan and College Station.

Those who will be evacuating to Brazos County have only one option- stay at one of 35 local hotels.

Brazos County Emergency Management has been preparing for evacuees to arrive in Brazos County.

“Trying to keep track of who is coming into the area as far as evacuees. Working with our hotels to try and figure out how full they are going to get or how full they already are,” said Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Jason Ware.

The Hyatt Place College Station already sold out starting Wednesday night through Friday night. Brazos County officials say as of Tuesday afternoon, free shelters won't be available.

“We don’t have any shelters set up at this time. We’re not planning on it but this is a fluid situation so it's ever-changing,” said Ware.

Susan Woodard evacuated from Orange, Texas, right in the path of Laura, and says she's expecting to find damage when she returns home.

“If it goes where they say, it's about a mile from my house, the river is. And it’s supposed to go up to the lake and we have a place at the lake so we’re kind of worried about three places. We have my mother’s house too,” she said.

Besides worrying about her home and property, evacuating during a pandemic is bringing a different level of stress to hurricane season.

“We brought stuff to clean up the room with. I'm not too scared of the coronavirus anyways but I feel safe,” said Woodard.

As of now, Emergency Management’s top priority is keeping the residents safe if in fact the county is affected by Hurricane Laura.

More evacuees are expected to make their way to the Brazos Valley. Brazos County Emergency Management reminding residents to have emergency kits ready that include masks and hand sanitizer.