CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With many out of power, and crews in the area helping to restore power, many, if not all, hotels in Corpus Christi and outlying areas are completely booked up Wednesday night.
“AEP, and our retail providers, have brought in support to try to repair lines we have down, and they usually have to have a place to stay. Then, you’ve got the individuals who have lost power. So, I’m pretty certain a lot of hotels are at capacity, because they’re trying to accommodate as necessary,” said Alex Garcia, the Executive Director of the American Red Cross, Coastal Bend Chapter.
Calls to area hotels for accommodations for Wednesday were met with no availability. “No we are completely sold out tonight.” “No sir, we are sold out for tonight.”
One thing we have seen too much of in the Coastal Bend this week is families displaced from their homes after a fire. The Red Cross helps families financially who are in that situation.
“We have volunteers that actually step up to the plate, and they open a case, and in opening that case, then we visit with the family members and we find out what does it look like, do you have a place to stay, what can we help you with?” Garcia said.
However, with little to no lodging available in the area, it has made the search harder on some families.
“One of the families stayed with neighbors, so they have actually stayed with neighbors across the street, and then we provide the financial assistance to utilize as they elect,” Garcia said.
While the Red Cross does not tell people where they should spend their financial assistance, they do have further resources available should people need it.
“We will revisit with the families to see where they stand with the financial assistance. In some cases, we can help them a little bit further in assistance, it just depends on the scenario,” Garcia said.
Garcia added families’ insurance providers may need to help finding lodging as well, and often times do just that. However, Garcia urges people to take caution during the cold weather, as to not cause a tragedy at their home.
“Be cautious with your heaters. If you have standalone units, be sure they’re three feet away from the wall, be sure they’re three feet away from any blankets, be cautious with that,” he said.
Anyone in need of the Red Cross’ assistance can request it through RedCross.org.
