Port Fourchon’s Recovery Phase Continues Post-Ida

All traffic lights on North Canal Boulevard are back operational, Thibodaux Police Department reports
September 8, 2021
Morgan City hotel provides shelter for linemen who were sleeping in parking lots
September 8, 2021
All traffic lights on North Canal Boulevard are back operational, Thibodaux Police Department reports
September 8, 2021
Morgan City hotel provides shelter for linemen who were sleeping in parking lots
September 8, 2021

Port Fourchon’s Recovery Phase continues post-Ida as they progress toward getting operations back in business and getting tenants back to work.


LATEST UPDATES:

  • WATER: The Lafourche Parish Water District is planning to start sending water to Fourchon tomorrow, September 9, 2021. Because it may take a day to build up water pressure to adequate levels for mass usage, tenants are asked to keep their facilities’ 2” water meters closed for the next 48 hours. That will help to restore the water supply for all port users.
  • BAYOU LAFOURCHE: Bayou Lafourche is closed north of Leeville per US Coast Guard. This portion of Bayou Lafourche north of the port is closed to marine traffic due to multiple obstructions in the channel, especially between the Ted Gisclair Floodgate in Larose and the Leon Theriot Lock in Golden Meadow. NOAA Coast Survey is finalizing the survey process in Bayou Lafourche but is working with limited access due to shoaling and obstructions throughout the channel from Leeville to Larose. We anticipate that NOAA’s survey data will be shared with the US Coast Guard, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Port Commission in the next 24-48 hours. We will send out an update when that information is received.

PROGRESS SO FAR:

  • On Sunday, August 29, Port Fourchon took a direct hit from Hurricane Ida.
  • By Tuesday, August 31, Port Commission personnel had gained access to Port Fourchon and started clearing debris to and within the port.
  • These efforts extended into Wednesday, September 1, prior to allowing tenant assessment teams into Port Fourchon to begin surveying damages on Thursday and Friday.
  • On Friday, September 3, the main channel at Belle Pass was deemed safe for travel in and out of Port Fourchon with restrictions.

ACCESS TO PORT FOURCHON: OPEN


  • ROADWAYS: Roadways are clear to and within Port Fourchon. Please use caution when traveling recently cleared roadways. LA 1 to Grand Isle has limited access for property and business owners and emergency services.
  • PORT WATERWAYS: The US Coast Guard has set Port Fourchon as Port Condition Normal: Port Open with Restrictions. Vessel traffic is limited to daylight operations only in Belle Pass and Port Fourchon’s waterways. CLICK HERE to view Marine Safety Information Bulletin MSIB 031-21 for details.
  • TENANT FACILITIES: Port tenants have been given full access to return to their facilities, and several of our larger tenants have either returned to operations or are readying themselves for operations in the port. Tenants’ employees should contact their employers for specific information on returning to work in Port Fourchon.

NOTABLE INFORMATION:

  • CURFEWS: There is a dusk to dawn curfew in effect for Port Fourchon, with no vehicular or marine traffic in port overnight. Port Fourchon Harbor Police remain on duty to monitor traffic and ensure the safety of the port and returning crews.
  • POWER, FUEL, & SUPPLIES: Be prepared to be self-sufficient in Port Fourchon. There is no power, and Entergy’s estimated restoration date for Lafourche Parish is September 29. There is currently little to no running water. There are no gas stations or restaurants currently open. Access is limited to parish curfew hours.
  • CLEANUP & DEBRIS: The Port Commission asks that as you begin to clean the debris from your business property, that you NOT place debris along the side of the roadway.  You must stack debris within the footprint of your facility, as there is no debris staging area in port.
  • EMERGENCY SERVICES: Temporary fire and emergency services have been established in Port Fourchon, and Port Fourchon Harbor Police are continually working security for the area from a law enforcement perspective.

All efforts are ongoing, but the underlying message is that the area is moving forward as a port, as a community, and as Fourchon family, together.