St. Mary says it will approach storm season with caution
June 5, 2012
Mild forecast comes with reminder of hard lesson
June 5, 2012
Lafourche Parish officials said they have the proper mechanisms in place to keep in touch with parish residents in the event a tropical disturbance bears down on the parish.
Preparation and awareness are key to avoiding last-minute complications, according to Lafourche Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Chris Boudreaux.
“Pay attention to when we call for evacuations,” Boudreaux said. Lafourche will alert residents of an evacuation through automated phone calls, email messages and updates to www.lafourchegov.org.
“Get ready: Where you are going, how long it will take you to get there, what supplies you will need when you get there – get all of those things in place,” Boudreaux said before adding that residents should be prepared for any kind of weather emergency, including rain events and tornado warnings.
In the event of a mandatory evacuation, Lafourche has a shelter agreement, which has been in place the two previous years, with the City of Monroe. Parish buses will pick up residents from three points – Thibodaux High School, Central Lafourche High School and Larose Civic Center – and deliver evacuees to one of three Monroe centers.
The parish has three “shelters of last resort”: Larose Civic Center, 307 E. 5th St., Larose; Central Lafourche High School, 4820 La. Highway 1, Mathews; and Thibodaux High School, 1355 Tiger Drive, Thibodaux.
Parish officials request that citizens only go to these shelters if there is no safer place to occupy. In that case, evacuees should phone ahead to make sure the shelter’s occupancy limit hasn’t been reached. The EOC phone number is (985) 537-7603.
The shelters will be closed if conditions are dire. In that case, the locations will operate solely as collection points for buses headed to Monroe. No matter where residents seek shelter, they should make sure to bring water, food and medication with them, Boudreaux said.
“There’s no guarantee, with the budget cuts the state and everybody else has, exactly what’s going to be there,” Boudreaux said. “And if you leave this parish to go somewhere else, it might be hard to get your medication.”
Parish government will communicate with evacuees through updates to the parish website and email alerts sent those signed up on its constant-contact list. Residents can sign up for the list by calling the Mathews Government Complex at (985) 537-7603.
Lafourche is also nearing completion on an agreement that will allow them to stream updates over the radio waves. Residents would have to first purchase a compatible radio, which start at $40.
The system, funded through the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, has yet to be unveiled in Lafourche but it should be in place soon, Boudreaux said.
The parish issues badges year-round based on a three-tier re-entry system, with lower numbers meaning earlier entry. The badge application form is on the parish website, www.lafourchegov.org.
Tier I consists of first responders, such as police officers, firemen, essential hospital staff and public works employees. Tier II is made up of assessment teams and major businesses – grocery stores, gas stations, banks, communication companies, etc. – as deemed by the parish president. Tier III is the general population, which does not need an ID card.
Returning residents may have to cross through other parishes to get to Lafourche, so stay in tune with neighboring re-entry plans. Parish government, through consultation with the sheriff’s office and other stakeholders, determines the re-entry schedule.
“We’re going make sure the parish is safe, the streets are clear,” Boudreaux said. “It doesn’t pay to let everybody back when they can’t get down to their residence or their business.”
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, which requires all of its employees who have arrest powers to remain in the parish during a storm, maintains the re-entry checkpoints.
“We double up our manpower on shifts,” LPSO Capt. Jeremy Granier said. “We still have to monitor the storm and traffic and make sure that people aren’t on the road when it’s unsafe, not trying to pass in areas that are flooded.”
Granier said that even in the event of a mandatory evacuation, the office’s regular duties, such as monitoring roadways and responding to calls, don’t cease. Deputies respond throughout the storm’s arrival, and the office is tasked with immediate assessment and resuming law-enforcement duties after the peak of a damaging storm passes.
“We’re still responding to calls until it’s absolutely unsafe to do so,” Granier said.
Trustee crews are organized before the storm, so the office can begin remediating infrastructure immediately, to facilitate a quicker and easier return for critical businesses, Granier said.
Prior to the storm, the office monitors Jefferson Parish’s plans, as to better prepare for evacuating Grand Isle residents. Deputies escort evacuating buses to Monroe before returning, and the office handles security at the three shelters of last resort.
“I just sent an email out, and I do this every year on the first day of hurricane season, telling our guys to take this time to start preparing with your family, make sure you have water, take out the generator that you haven’t run since last hurricane season and make sure it’s still serviceable,” Granier said.
Lafourche’s emergency plan is posted in full at www.lafourchegov.org.
Workers push to place a tarp over a damaged roof during the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. The parish says they have a plan in place and are ready for the new storm season.
