Saturday’s severe storm left over 110,000 San Antonio residents without electricity, prompting city officials to activate a network of cooling centers and resilience hubs to protect vulnerable neighbors.
Cooling sites at local libraries
During daytime hours, anyone affected can visit their nearest San Antonio Public Library branch to cool off, charge devices and access Wi‑Fi. The Bazan, Las Palmas and San Pedro branches were forced to close Saturday because of the outages, but they will reopen today as power is restored.
Free transit to help residents reach safe locations
VIA Metropolitan Transit announced it will provide complimentary rides for anyone needing transportation to a cooling center. Riders can board any VIA bus at no charge and be dropped off at the designated library locations.
Overnight resilience hubs for the most vulnerable
For residents who require assistance after library hours—such as medication that must stay refrigerated or additional support—San Antonio Parks and Recreation will open several community centers as overnight resilience hubs. These sites will remain staffed through the night, offering a safe, climate‑controlled environment.
Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez said the city is actively checking on individuals already listed as medically vulnerable. “We have a list of those critical individuals,” she said. “We are assessing where they are in connection with the outages so we can start reaching out.”
People who are not on the vulnerable‑population list but still need help are urged to call 311 for assistance. City and CPS Energy officials will continue to monitor the situation, coordinate power restoration and keep residents informed about available resources.
Community response
Local resident Cathy Vela, who lives at the Villa Tranchese Apartments north of downtown, expressed concern for her elderly and disabled neighbors. “I just feel bad for the elderly people that are here,” she said. “Like us, we can walk to get a taco and a sandwich at McDonald’s. They can’t. They’re disabled. Some of them are on walkers.”
The city’s swift response underscores its commitment to protecting families and ensuring that all San Antonio residents have access to essential services during extreme weather events.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
