SAN ANTONIO – The effort to help those in Beryl’s path has already started. American Red Cross of Central and South Texas expects to spend nearly $2 million helping Texans before, during, and after the storm.
Much of the help comes from local resources. American Red Cross is bringing in more than 300 volunteers from across the country to Southeast Texas.
According to American Red Cross Chapter Executive Director Daniel Martinez, roughly 100 volunteers and 11 truckloads of resources are from the central and south Texas area and are all in place to help communities with anything they need.
Volunteers will be “driving our emergency response vehicles, doing damage assessments,” Martinez said. “We have volunteers who help with mental health care, spiritual care, and then we just have individuals who say, you know what, I’m here. Tell me what we can do.”
Martinez wants Texas to know about the Red Cross mobile app to help those dealing with storms like Beryl. He said it’s a valuable tool that works even when cell service is not available.
“Not only does it show the resources in terms of shelters, but it also has a ton of resources,” Martinez said. “We have stay kits, and we have go kits.”
Beryl’s impact is already being felt along the Texas coast. After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Refugio County Judge Jhiela Poynter said this is the expectation for coastal residents:
“Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” Poynter said.
Red Cross shelters are open in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, the coastal bend, and as far west as Laredo.
American Red Cross shelters available
| Location | Address | Hours of Operation |
|---|---|---|
| Bayside Community Church | 25080 TX-172 Port Lavaca, TX 67979 | Open 24 Hours |
| Bloomington Elementary School | 200 N Leonard Bloomington, TX 77951 | Open 24 Hours |
| H.M. King Early College High School FEMA Dome | 2210 Brahma Blvd Kingsville, TX 78363 | 24 Hours Standby |
| Hempstead Recreation Center | 635 US 290 BUS Hempstead, TX 77445 | Open 24 Hours |
| LBJ 9th Grade Campus | 5511 St. Luke Blvd. Loredo, TX 78046 | Open 24 Hours |
| St. Joseph High School FEMA Dome | 110 E. Red River St Victoria, TX 78046 | Open 24 Hours |
Both Martinez and Poynter said it’s best to shelter sooner rather than later.
“Refugio County is an evacuation county,” Poynter said. “That is because we are coastal and we are small and we do not have the capacity to shelter, which means if something were to happen to that person who is deciding to stay home, we do not have the ability to house them. We cannot feed them.”
The Red Cross is prepared to shelter and feed any Texans who need it, and the Salvation Army is also prepared to feed thousands of Texans.