COTA Reopens As Rest Area For Hurricane Laura Evacuees In Need Of Hotel Rooms

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The City of Austin is no longer turning away Hurricane Laura evacuees after the Circuit of the Americas was reopened as a rest area Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Evacuees waiting at the race track in southern Travis County will be provided hotel rooms on a first-come, first-served basis when they become available, the city said, adding that basic amenities will be provided to those waiting.

People heading through Austin who do not want to use COTA as a rest stop can call 211 for help finding the next closest shelter. Evacuees can also sign up for updates via text message by texting the word “ATXShelter” to 888-777. They can also call 512-978-1510 to get updates by text.

At around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, the city’s available hotel rooms hit capacity. City spokesperson Bryce Bencivengo said evacuees were then told to travel to the Knights of Columbus Hall in Ennis, Texas — about 30 miles south of Dallas.

On Tuesday, the city said 15 hotels would house people escaping what is expected to develop into a Category 4 hurricane. The state had requested Austin host up to 3,000 evacuees, but the city did not have an estimate on how many it would be able to house.

Evacuees were first bused to the Circuit of the Americas in southern Travis County before being transferred to hotels. Officials said they’re avoiding the use of large shelters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Laura is currently projected to strike the Texas-Louisiana border overnight, causing widespread flash flooding and damage from hurricane-force winds.

Nadia Hamdan contributed to this report.

This story has been updated.