Texas evacuates residents for Hurricane Laura as coronavirus poses new challenges
Evacuees walk to board buses Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Galveston, Texas. The evacuees are being taken to Austin, Texas, as Hurricane Laura heads toward the Gulf Coast.
David J. Phillip | AP
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a new twist on emergency preparedness in Texas as officials prepare for Hurricane Laura to make landfall as soon as Wednesday.
The state is trying to evacuate residents in high-risk areas in a socially distanced manner, Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news briefing on Tuesday. Officials are encouraging evacuees to head for hotels where they can self-isolate instead of potentially crowded evacuation centers. The state is also providing protective equipment, such as masks, as well as Covid-19 testing services at shelter locations.
“We are responding to Hurricane Laura while also responding to a pandemic,” Abbott said. “And we are not taking …continued .
[Source: CNBC News]
