City of Dallas activates Emergency Operations Center to prepare for Hurricane Harvey evacuees

**Note:  Office of Emergency Management Director Rocky Vaz will be available for interviews at the EOC today at 1 p.m.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 25, 2017

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Richard Hill – Public Information Office
(214) 846-0519

City of Dallas activates Emergency Operations Center to prepare for Hurricane Harvey evacuees

Dallas – The City of Dallas has received a formal request from the State to prepare for evacuees from the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Shelter staffing and management will be a joint effort between the City of Dallas and the American Red Cross.

The City’s Office of Emergency Management OEM is preparing to open a shelter in the Walnut Hill Recreation Center at 10011 Midway Road. The shelter can handle up to 500 people. It expected to be open by 2 p.m. today.

The City also has the ability to activate its’ Mega Shelter Plan, using the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. If activated, the mega shelter will use the Convention Center’s parking structure and will not affect events or shows currently booked.

If this occurs, the OEM will consolidate all other shelters onto the single mega shelter so that staff and the Red Cross can efficiently deploy and manage resources.