Evacuation center coming to Caldwell County, able to take in hundreds

LULING, Texas (KXAN) — Land that’s currently filled with gravel and tall grass will be home to a 45,000-square-feet evacuation shelter in Caldwell County. The center will be in Luling, which is about an hour southeast of Austin.

Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden said it’ll house more than 360 people evacuating from natural disasters across the state.

Whether it’s a fire in the panhandle or a hurricane in the Gulf, people can come from all over.

“We’ll have a bed for them. It’s going to have a big, warming kitchen so they’ll have food. It’s going to have showers and bathroom facilities,” Haden said. “It’s going to have a laundry mat for them.”

Once up and running, Haden said people can stay there a week or two until it’s safe for them to go back.

It was welcomed news for people in Luling, like Joann Button.

“We need an evacuation center. We need lots of them, because we have a lot of storms on the coast,” Button said. “We have a lot of tornadoes.”

When its not serving as an evacuation center, people can use it for big events. At the moment, Haden said the facilities they do have are worn out.

“They’ve served us well for decades, but they’re getting towards the end of their life cycle,” Haden said.

The county hopes to have the center built by the first part of 2026. The entire project costs about $22 million, and will be paid for by a grant with the Texas General Land Office.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.