Oct 04, 2013 | 4 pm update

Councilmember Guidry says, “The Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles have been activated and remain on stand-by at safe locations in anticipation of post-storm relief efforts. Dozens of trailers filled with cots, blankets, comfort kits and kitchen supplies are spread across the Gulf region.”

Make a Plan

The reality of a disaster situation is that you will likely not have access to everyday conveniences. To plan in advance, think through the details of your everyday life.

Develop a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations.

Consider a plan where each family member calls, or e-mails, the same friend or relative in the event of an emergency. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members. Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the attack, the first important decision is whether you stay put or get away. You should understand and plan for both possibilities.

Watch television and listen to the radio for official instructions as they become available.

Create a Personal Support Network: If you anticipate needing assistance during a disaster, ask family, friends and others to be part of your plan. Share each aspect of your emergency plan with everyone in your group, including a friend or relative in another area who would not be impacted by the same emergency who can help if necessary. Include the names and numbers of everyone in your personal support network, as well as your medical providers in your emergency supply kit. Make sure that someone in your personal support network has an extra key to your home and knows where you keep your emergency supplies. If you use a wheelchair or other medical equipment, show friends how to use these devices so they can move you if necessary and teach them how to use any lifesaving equipment or administer medicine in case of an emergency. Practice your plan with those who have agreed to be part of your personal support network. Inform your employer and co-workers about your disability and let them know specifically what assistance you will need in an emergency. Talk about communication difficulties, physical limitations, equipment instructions and medication procedures. Always participate in trainings and emergency drills offered by your employer.

Consider Your Service Animal or Pets: Whether you decide to stay put or evacuate, you will need to make plans in advance for your service animal and pets. Keep in mind that what’s best for you is typically what’s best for your animals. If you must evacuate, take your pets with you, if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, make sure that they allow pets. Some only allow service animals. Fire Safety: Plan two ways out of every room in case of fire. Check for items such as bookcases, hanging pictures or overhead lights that could fall and block an escape path.

Create a Plan to Shelter-in-Place: There are circumstances when staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as sheltering-in-place and sealing the room can be a matter of survival. If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated, you may want to shelter-in-place and seal the room. Consider precutting plastic sheeting to seal windows, doors and air vents. Each piece should be several inches larger than the space you want to cover so that you can duct tape it flat against the wall. Label each piece with the location of where it fits. Immediately turn off air conditioning, forced air heating systems, exhaust fans and clothes dryers. Take your emergency supplies and go into the room you have designated. Seal all windows, doors and vents. Understand that sealing the room is a temporary measure to create a barrier between you and contaminated air. Listen to the radio for instructions from local emergency management officials.

Create a Plan to Get Away: Plan in advance how you will assemble your family and anticipate where you will go. Choose several destinations in different directions so you have options in an emergency. Become familiar with alternate routes as well as other means of transportation out of your area. If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if you have to. If you typically rely on elevators, have a back-up plan in case they are not working. Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together.

You may want to consider evacuating with help of Evacuteer.org. This is a new resource designed to help New Orleans residents safely evacuate. As travel around the city, you will notice the addition of 14-foot sculptures in your neighborhoods. These art pieces resembling waving figures are the culmination of art and functionality. These are designated evacuation pickup points (EvacuSpots) across the city. In the event of an evacuation, these EvacuSpots will be run by Evacuteers who will register and assist evacuees with luggage and pets at each of the locations.

The EvacuSpots are located at the:

Arthur Mondy Center (West Bank)
Kingsley House (Lower Garden District)
Central City Senior Center (Central City)
Mater Dolorosa (Carrollton)
Smith Library Bus Stop (Lakeview)
Palmer Park (Carrollton)
McMain High School (Broadmoor)
Lyons Community Center (Irish Channel)
Dryades YMCA (Central City)
Warren Easton High School (Mid City)
Municipal Auditorium (Treme)
O. Perry Walker High School (West Bank)
Stallings Community Center (Bywater)
Sanchez Center (Lower 9th Ward)
Gentilly Mall Parking Lot (Gentilly)
New Orleans East Library
Mary Queen of Vietnam Church (New Orleans East)

Get WATER | BATTERIES | MEDICINE

And, even if you have done it already, CLEAN THAT CATCH BASIN near your home. It gets re-clogged after every rain event. The pumps can’t pump what they can’t get.***In the midst of hurricane preparations it’s easy to forget the simple stuff. If your trash pickup days are Monday and Thursday, don’t forget to put out the can. If the hurricane arrives, it might be a while before trash pickup resumes.***With any calamity anywhere there are always opportunists. Bring in anything that could be transformed into a missle or be of value to an opportunist.

Neighbor Conrad Abadie says, “If you have an icemaker in your refrigerator, you might want to empty it into a small ice chest. It should come in handy when you lose power and will keep you from having to open the refrigerator.”

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Neighbor Bill Dalton sent in this interesting link to the Google Crisis Map for the United States —> http://google.org/crisismap/

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Neighbor Eileen Duke made this suggestion on the Yahoo group:

“For those that are staying, let’s please watch out for people casing our neighborhood… I’m not suggesting that anyone confront trespassers on properties other than their own, but we could at least sound a car alarm if we see someone entering someone’s backyard, etc. That could be a signal of sorts.”

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Neighbor Vince Booth sent in this link for traffic information:

http://i10highway.com/i-10-traffic/new_orleans.html

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And, one of the things you should be doing on a regular basis is cleaning that catch basin near your home. Check out the link below for more information:

https://fsjna.org/2012/05/free-protection/

The pumps can’t pump what the pumps can’t get. Clean that catch basin today.

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Hurricane Hunters on TWITTER —> https://twitter.com/NOAA_HurrHunter

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Call 1-800-9-OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) for downed power lines or gas leaks.

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Louisiana contraflow lane reversals start 30 hours before the onset of tropical winds. A local software team has created a Google Maps mashup to make the state’s contraflow evacuation routes easier to understand.

Visit contraflowmaps.com to plan your route.

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Please visit www.getagameplan.org and www.gohsep.la.gov to get detailed information on building a family emergency plan, emergency supplies, and evacuation information. Ready.gov is available with FEMA preparedness information. The city’s 311 system will be up and active during this storm. Please report any non-emergency issues to 311 including downed trees, signs and traffic light outages.

Whether it’s a boil water advisory or hurricane alerts, you need to be ready… NOLA READY! Learn more by visiting the links below.

On the Web – http://new.nola.gov/ready/

Via Email – http://new.nola.gov/ready/emergency-alerts/

On Twitter – https://twitter.com/nolaready

On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NOHSEP

Readiness starts with you

Whether manmade or natural, every emergency situation is different, and requires both citizen and City to be prepared. From the Final Four to the Super Bowl, all-hazards alerts to hurricane evacuations, 24/7, 365 days a year, agencies across the City of New Orleans work to keep you safe and our city prepared for any event or emergency.

For our City to be ready, our citizens must be ready.

We must take all take important steps to prepare for an emergency. At NOLA Ready, we provide all the information residents need to travel their own road to being ready, including how to:

City-Assisted Evacuation

City-Assisted Evacuation assists Orleans Parish residents and/or tourists who cannot self-evacuate during a mandatory City-wide evacuation by providing transportation from designated City evacuation pick-up points to the Union Pacific Terminal bus station, for outbound transportation to State and Federal shelters. Learn more here.

Sign the NOLA Ready pledge

Join Mayor Mitch Landrieu and make a commitment to the City committed to you. Make a Plan. Mark Your Name.

Because I love New Orleans, I know how I will leave New Orleans. I am New Orleanian. I am NOLA Ready.

Sign the Pledge

Get notified: Emergency Alerts

Accurate, immediate information, straight from the City of New Orleans to you via text, call, or email. NOLA Ready is the CIty of New Orleans’ emergency alert system and official source of information about every emergency situation, from power electrical outages to hurricane evacuations. What you need to know, when you need to know it, wherever you need to know it. Sign up here.

A CHECKLIST OF ITEMS FOR HURRICANE PREPARATION

Prescription medication for a month
Aspirin and non-prescription medicine
FIRST AID KIT
Antibiotic ointment
CASH
Drinking water (2 gallons per day per person)
Containers for storing water
Non-perishable food
Eating utensils, paper plates and towels
Baby supplies (up to 3 weeks)
Non-electric can opener
Battery powered TV or radio
TOILET PAPER
Boards for your windows
Matches
Fire Extinguisher
Flashlight with extra batteries
Lantern with extra fuel
Fuel for your generator or saw
Aluminum foil
INSECT REPELLENT
Month’s supply of pet food
Cat litter
Tools and shovel
Latex and regular work gloves
SIGNAL LIGHT
AX IN ATTIC
Rope or heavy cord
DISINFECTANT
Toiletries and feminine supplies
Soap and liquid detergent
Household bleach without lemon
GARBAGE BAGS
Sturdy work shoes or work boots
RAIN GEAR AND A CHANGE OF CLOTHES
Have a plan of action for your pets. Many shelters will not take them. Call the SPCA for more information to help you prepare for evacuating your pets… (504) 368-5191.
http://www.la-spca.org

MAYOR LANDRIEU DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
AS CITY PREPARES FOR TROPICAL STORM KAREN

Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu outlined storm preparation for Tropical Storm Karen, which according to the National Weather Service is expected to make landfall Saturday as a Tropical Storm.

Mayor Landrieu has declared a state of emergency and mobilized City departments and partner agencies to prepare for a severe weather. New Orleans is currently under a Tropical Storm Watch.

“We have a plan in place to secure the city and we are taking all necessary precautions to prepare for Tropical Storm Karen,” Mayor Landrieu said. “Now is the time to prepare for whatever may come our way. As we all have learned, these storms can be unpredictable so we must continue to stay alert and ready to adjust as the situation develops.”

In advance of the weather, the City is asking residents to take the following precautions:

Prepare to shelter in place with food, water, and medications needed in the event of loss of water and/ or power.
Clean or clear gutters and catch basins near your home.
Bring in or secure any loose objects outside.
Check on your neighbors and the elderly to make sure they are prepared.
Regular trash pickup will occur Saturday. Once trash is picked up, residents should secure trash cans.
Board up your windows or hatch down shutters.

Mayor Landrieu strongly encouraged residents who live outside the city’s levee protection system or in low-lying areas – including Venetian Isles, Fort Pike, Irish Bayou, and Lake Catherine – to be prepared for elevated tidal surge and impassable roadways.

Watch video from Mayor Landrieu’s Press Conference

NOLA 311
NOLA 311 will be operating extended hours throughout the event. NOLA 311 will remain operational until Friday midnight and resume operations at 6:00 a.m. Saturday, October 5 and remain operating 24 hours a day until further notice.
Residents are encouraged to call NOLA 311 for general information and to report non-life threatening emergencies such as:

Storm preparation information
Sidewalk and road problems
Debris

Residents should call 911 ONLY for life-threatening emergencies.

NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT
The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has activated its hurricane preparedness plan, and is fully ready to protect people and property across the city.
The NOPD will ticket motorists who drive faster than 5 mph on streets with standing water. Barricades will be positioned and will be deployed in flooded areas.
A list of streets prone to significant flooding during severe weather is available at ready.nola.gov.

NEW ORLEANS FIRE DEPARTMENT
The New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) is fully staffed and prepared to respond to emergencies involving fire, water or hazardous materials. Additionally, the NOFD Urban Search and Rescue team is on standby in the event that it is needed. NOFD encourages residents to practice generator safety by operating them only in well-ventilated areas, away from doors, windows and vent openings. The NOFD also urges residents to use candles and kerosene lamps safely and never leave them unattended.

HOMELESS SHELTERS
The following shelters will be available for homeless persons on Friday, October 5:

New Orleans Mission, 1130 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, (adults only: ages 18 and over) 504-270-4967.
Ozanam Inn, 843 Camp St., (males only) 504-523-1184.
Covenant House, 611 N. Rampart St., (males and females ages 16-21 and females of any age with children) 504-523-1111.
Bethel Community Ministries, 4114 Old Gentilly Rd, (women with children) 504-943-0456.

REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY (RTA)
At this time, RTA will continue to provide regular transit services to its riders. Streetcar service will be replaced with buses once sustained winds reach 25 mph.

SANITATION
Regular trash pickups will occur on Saturday. Once trash is picked up on Saturday, residents should secure all trash bins. Sanitation trucks will not traverse down streets with standing water.

SEWERAGE & WATER BOARD
All 24 sewerage and water board drainage pump stations are 100% operational. Backup generators at the Sewerage and Water Board facilities are on site and available as needed.

PARKING
The City is allowing residents to secure their vehicles on the neutral ground throughout the weather event. Residents should not park under trees, on tree roots, on levees, or on street car tracks. Any vehicles parked on the levees or streetcar lines will be towed.

ENTERGY
According to Entergy, it has activated its emergency response center, pre-staged all equipment and activated mutual assistance agreements with other agencies. Customers are encouraged to go to http://www.entergy.com/ to sign up for text messages. Residents may call 1-800-9OUTAGE to report outages or downed power lines.

PUBLIC WORKS & CAPITAL PROJECTS
The Department of Public Works has contractors and staff on standby for road repair and debris removal. Catch basin trucks are out cleaning catch basins. City project construction sites are being secured in preparation for severe weather.

LIBRARIES
New Orleans Public Library locations will be open Saturday, October 5.

NORDC
NORDC recreation centers will be closed on Saturday, October 5.

NORDC tennis centers and aquatics facilities will be closed on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6.

NORDC Movies in the Park event scheduled for Friday, October 4 at Stallings Playground is cancelled.

NORDC little league football games scheduled for Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5 are cancelled.

NOLA FOR LIFE Midnight Basketball scheduled for Saturday, October 5 at Tremé Center is cancelled.

NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The New Orleans International Airport is completely operational at this time and is in constant communication with airlines. Travelers are encouraged to check individual airlines websites for latest information on delays and cancelations.

VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
New Orleans hotels remain open. City officials are in contact with hotels and conventions in town in order to ensure safety of New Orleans visitors as well as New Orleans residents. The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau provide hospitality industry updates on their webpage at http://www.facebook.com/NewOrleansCVB.

EMERGENCY SUPPLY KITS
According to Emergency Preparedness officials, families should build an emergency supply kit at home that includes:

Water (one gallon per person, per day for at least 3 days)
Non-perishable food (three-day supply for evacuation)
Non-electric can opener for food
Radio (battery-powered or hand crank)
Flashlights
Batteries
First aid kit (medications and medical supplies, seven-day supply)
Whistle
Dust masks
Sanitation items
Personal hygiene items
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Maps
Important family documents

READY.NOLA.GOV
Citizens are encouraged to sign up for email and text message alerts by going to ready.nola.gov. This service allows City officials to contact citizens during emergencies, which includes life-threatening weather events, evacuation or shelter in place information, and other pertinent emergency information. In addition to the website, the City operates a Twitter handle: @nolaready.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS TO KNOW

For life threatening emergencies, call 911
To report a non-life threatening problem or to get information, call 311
Report standing water in streets or downed traffic signals, call 504-821-2222
Sewerage and Water Boards 24/7 line, call 504-529-2837
To report power outages, call 1-800-968-8243 (1-800-9OUTAGE)
Report levee issues on the East Bank to Orleans Levee District Police at 504-283-9800 and on the West Bank call the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority West at 504-340-0318

Stay informed by downloading the Entergy App on your smartphone entergy.com/app, or register to receive text message updates by sending the message REG to 368374 from your cellphone.

Call 1-800-9-OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) to report a power outage.

You can also download the American Red Cross Hurricane App here, and review their Hurricane Checklist here.

Residents should call 911 ONLY for life-threatening emergencies.

The City is allowing residents to secure their vehicles on the neutral ground throughout the weather event. Residents should not park under trees, on tree roots, on levees, or on street car tracks. Any vehicles parked on the levees or streetcar lines will be towed.

For life threatening emergencies, call 911
To report a non-life threatening problem or to get information, call 311
Report standing water in streets or downed traffic signals, call 504-821-2222
Sewerage and Water Boards 24/7 line, call 504-529-2837
To report power outages, call 1-800-968-8243 (1-800-9OUTAGE)
Report levee issues on the East Bank to Orleans Levee District Police at 504-283-9800 and on the West Bank call the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority West at 504-340-0318

Resilient New Orleans

STAY STEADY BUT BE READY