DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - If Tropical Storm Barry forces large numbers of people to flee Louisiana, Dallas County officials will be ready to answer the call and provide shelter.
On Friday, County Judge Clay Jenkins said, "I authorized my Homeland Security and Emergency Management chief to assess the readiness to open three shelters, which would accommodate about a thousand people here in Dallas County."
Jenkins said it is unlikely the local shelters will be needed, but they wanted to be ready to help, if necessary. "Currently, there's been no request to Texas from Louisiana. Rather, a question came to me from the state on what our capabilities would be," he said. "Dallas County is always, if not the first, one of the first in the state to raise their hand because we have so many resources and so many people who can help here."
Jenkins said the county is coordinating with local cities to identify the sites that would serve as temporary shelters, if needed.
In Austin, Gov. Greg Abbott has state resources on standby, should the help be needed in Louisiana. That includes assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Military Department, Parks and Wildlife and Texas Task Force One. In a statement, Gov. Abbott said, "Texans remember how the state of Louisiana came to our aid during Hurricane Harvey, and now, we are in turn lending our support as Louisianans face Tropical Storm Barry."