SA, Bexar County officially under disaster declaration

Anyone in need of shelter can go to shelter processing center at 200 Gembler

SAN ANTONIO – With Harvey now a Category 1 hurricane, the city of San Antonio and Bexar County are officially under a disaster declaration.

The Emergency Operation Center has been fully functional since Wednesday. That means all agencies from the city and Bexar County are pooling their resources.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said there are shelters and buses ready to help evacuees as they come from other parts of the state.

Officials are asking anyone in need of shelter to go to the shelter processing center at 200 Gembler. People are asked not to show up at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio Fire Department Battalion Chief Larry Trevino said Interstate 37 is prepared for contraflow, or moving all lanes to go one direction. In this case, it would be from the coast to San Antonio. It has not been enacted yet, but it could happen soon.

“We just received an update from the National Weather Service, and they told us the storm has the potential and I want to emphasize potential, things change, to be a weather event we talk about for years to come,” Nirenberg said.

“Even though the city and county have spent a great deal of money on flood control, that does not mean we're controlling all of it, so there will be danger out there, as the mayor stated. And we do need to be careful over the next few days,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said.

All agencies are urging residents to download the Ready South Texas app. It gives real-time information, access to evacuation maps, safe routes and shelter information.

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About the Authors

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.

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