Texas communities that opened shelters during Hurricane Hanna say the process, the first real test of hurricane response during the coronavirus pandemic, overcame the challenges of social distancing, lack of volunteers and other worries.

Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., who serves as the emergency management director for Cameron County, one of the South Texas areas hit by Hanna, said a shortage of volunteers due to the pandemic complicated efforts to open two shelters ahead of the storm.

“We had to scramble because the Red Cross did not have sufficient volunteers, but we were able to find volunteers for us expecting that people would want to potentially shelter, especially in those areas that are prone to flooding," Trevino said in a news briefing after the storm had passed.

But the shelters stayed empty.

"Not one family showed up," Trevino said. "And I think that may have had to with the fact that certain families decided to probably bear out the storm at home as opposed to getting into an enclosed area with other potential families which may be COVID positive or possibly exposed."

Trevino added: "That’s a double-edged sword. Number one, we want to make sure that individuals that need shelter take advantage of it. Number 2, that tells me that our advocacy and our warnings (to avoid crowds) are being heeded by the great majority of people that are listening to us.”

(PHOTOS: Hurricane Hanna Lashes the Texas Coast)

Local officials, government leaders and nonprofits that provide assistance in hurricane-prone areas have been bracing for a storm ever since the coronavirus pandemic started in mid-March. Shelter plans have been altered to allow for social distancing, and procedures are in place for temperature checks, the wearing of face masks and other steps aimed at keeping people safe from severe weather and COVID-19 at the same time.

Hurricane Hanna made landfall Saturday as a Category 1 storm bringing storm surge, power outages and flooding across South Texas and into Mexico.

Lt. Adolph Aguirre, commanding officer of the Salvation Army in McAllen, Texas, told weather.com Tuesday that the fact that a hurricane didn't happen sooner in the season gave more breathing time for organizations like his to prepare. The Salvation Army has been practicing social distancing and handing out personal protective equipment in its community shelters for months.

Aguirre said that made it easier to stand up one shelter on Saturday and assist with several others.

"I think normally we wouldn't have had a clue how to prepare for this if we hadn't already been practicing it," he said.

Capacity at the Salvation Army's shelter was dropped from 100 to 40 so people could spread out further, and it was nearly full.

"We're glad that people were comfortable coming and overall I think it was a success," Aguirre said. "There was a sense of security as people arrived."

Parts of Texas, including southern and border counties impacted by Hanna, are a coronavirus hotspot with infections surging in recent weeks. In all, Texas has reported more than 406,000 known cases of COVID-19, the fourth highest in the nation behind California, Florida and New York. Some 5,700 Texans have died of the virus.

“Thankfully the hurricane did not increase or overwhelm the hospitals with regards to emergency reported cases over the weekend," Trevino said.

(MORE: Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Nonprofits Responding to Hurricanes and Other Disasters Face Volunteer, Funding Shortages)

Whether or not the fallout from Hanna causes an increase in cases remains to be seen in numbers released in the coming weeks.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated 17 mobile response teams to administer tests in shelters if needed.

Teams are also helping with cleanup, where coronavirus is again a constant backdrop.

Texans like Nora Esquivel find themselves faced with having to open their doors to insurance adjusters and contractors after hunkering down in their homes for months to avoid coronavirus.

“No contact with nobody, only my daughter once in a while, and now with this, I have to allow people to come into my house, the insurance and all this and I’m scared,” Esquivel, whose son arrived in a kayak Sunday morning to ferry her out of her flooded house in Hidalgo County, told The Associated Press.

“All my friends are dying. ... I have fear for my family, for everybody, not just me and this is the whole world.”

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.