Houston’s NRG convention hall opens with room for 10,000

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said that the NRG Center convention hall in Houston opened at 10 p.m. Tuesday as a shelter for those fleeing the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.

The NRG Center, located next to NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans football team, has the capacity to hold 10,000 people, a welcomed addition to the region’s other shelters that are exceeding capacity in many instances in light of the historic flooding.

The Houston Chronicle reported that a line of cars was winding around the building Tuesday night, not full of desperate survivors but with volunteers and people looking to make donations to those in need.

“What this is designed to do,” Emmett said of the convention hall’s opening, “is make our neighbors comfortable and give them a sense of security so they can begin to plan and get on with their lives.”

The opening of NRG Center, said former County Judge Robert Eckles, is another testament to the city’s spirit and generosity.

“We have a tradition of helping each other in times of need,” Eckles said.

More than 1,000 people were expected to begin arriving around midnight Tuesday where they would have shelter, blankets, cots, water and ready to eat meal packs.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 1:25 AM with the headline "Houston’s NRG convention hall opens with room for 10,000."