The City of Austin and the County of Galveston have approved an agreement that will provide shelter space for approximately 1,600 Galveston County mainland residents forced to evacuate because of a hurricane or other disaster.

While the majority of Galveston County residents are capable of self-evacuating, many individuals either have medical problems or transportation issues that prevent them from leaving on their own when a mandatory evacuation is ordered.

“Many citizens do not own a vehicle or have medical problems that prevent them from driving,” said John Simsen, the county’s emergency management coordinator. “This very vulnerable population needs help getting out of harm’s way when a hurricane threatens.”

The county estimates that approximately 1,600 mainland residents fall into this category, based on the numbers who needed assistance evacuating from Hurricane Rita in September 2005.

A separate contract between Austin and the City of Galveston will accommodate Galveston Island’s estimated 3,700 special-needs evacuees.

Transportation for the evacuees will be provided by Coach-style, air-conditioned buses procured by the State of Texas. In the event sufficient buses are not available, local school buses will be used.

Passengers, along with the pets they may bring with them, will be tracked by a combination of state and local equipment, including wristbands, collar straps and electronic scanners. Texas military forces may assist local authorities with the loading and unloading process.

“The City of Austin has done a great job organizing the shelter hub to accommodate our special-needs evacuees,” Simsen said. “We are very fortunate to have this new relationship to ensure that our most vulnerable residents have a safe place to stay.”

Prior to landfall of a major hurricane, the county and cities in Galveston County will notify residents who need transportation to assemble at various pickup points (in some cases assisted by local police). They will then board buses and depart for Austin. City and county workers and volunteers will accompany the evacuees and will assist with their care while in Austin.

Citizen volunteers who would like to assist with shelter operations can call 281-309-5003 for more information.

The special-needs buses will depart in advance of the general population, and all evacuation stages will be coordinated with the Houston region to ensure the county has sufficient time to evacuate.

The Austin-Galveston County and Austin-Galveston City agreements will be renewed each year prior to the start of Hurricane Season on June 1.

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