Harris County, TX, January 26, 2026, As Harris County prepares for one more night of extremely cold temperatures, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis visited with residents, staff and volunteers at the warming shelter at Lincoln Park Community Center today. The warming shelter is managed through a partnership with the American Red Cross and Harris County Precinct 1.
“This is the largest number of residents at shelters that I’ve seen during my eight years in office, and it’s likely due to the unique combination of extreme cold, wet weather and icy roads. Thank goodness we had the Red Cross and community partners working hard to keep our warming shelters up and running smoothly. I want to thank Red Cross staff, volunteers, the precincts, first responders, and our emergency management team for their ongoing, ongoing team effort to keep our community safe during this weather event,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo.
As of Sunday morning, the 20 warming shelters open throughout Harris County and the City of Houston had a total population of 1,417 residents. Warming shelters will continue accepting residents until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, and then demobilize later that day. Check the map on Ready Harris for a full list of warming center locations, hours, amenities, and whether they accept pets. Residents who call from within Harris County boundaries and need transportation to a warming center can call 3-1-1 for help.
The Harris County Emergency Operations Center remains activated at Level III: Increased Readiness since more freezing temperatures are expected Monday night. Harris County operations will resume tomorrow, and local school jurisdictions will make announcements about potentially reopening later this afternoon.
Residents can view the latest weather information and alerts at www.readyharris.org.
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