The parking lot at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center is almost completely filled with an operation to shelter city residents displaced by Tropical Storm Harvey’s flooding, and plans are in the works to house more displaced residents.

A giant white Clear Span Tent holds a spot in the main parking area of the civic center with smaller Western Shelters nearby. A section of the parking lot near the Texas Artists Museum holds numerous tan Western Shelters, or tents, where residents who previously housed in a temporary shelter at Thomas Jefferson Middle School are now residing.

The residential area has restroom facilities, laundry facilities, dining facilities and medical facilities, Risa Carpenter, public information officer for the city, said.

The giant Clear Span Tent is another type of shelter on site.

“We are trying to accommodate the first arrivals from Thomas Jefferson Middle School, then slowly adding more to accommodate additional people as necessary,” Carpenter said.

There was also activity outside Central Mall where yellow caution tape marked off a large section where piles of wood and metal as well as work trailers are located. Other local media has reported that this will be the site for more tents for displaced residents, but Carpenter could not comment on the issue at this time.

Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman said starting Monday that Port Arthur residents who evacuated to the greater Dallas area will start returning home by bus in the next 48 hours to either take up residence at tents set-up at the civic center or they can stay with family and/or friends.

Evacuees who were previously sheltered at Thomas Jefferson Middle School or tenants who were evicted from their rental properties are staying in the tents, he said.

The tents, however, are a temporary solution and the Federal Emergency Management Agency soon will allow the Texas General Land Office to administer more permanent housing, such as trailers. It will be the first time FEMA has allowed state administration of temporary housing.

Freeman said the change was made because FEMA has learned from its past mistakes and thinks the program will be managed more efficiently by cutting through the red tape on a state level.

Applicants may download an application at www.glo.tx.gov. The program will work as if the applicant has their own caseworker through the process.

He added that there would be different options and programs on the GLO site.

David Ball contributed to this story.