Recovery update from Gov. Jindal
FOX 8 News received this news release from the Governor's Office Monday evening:
Gov. Jindal Holds Unified Command Group, Updates On State Response to Isaac
BATON ROUGE – Governor Bobby Jindal held a Unified Command Group meeting today and outlined the state's response to Isaac.
Note: Facts and figures below are current as of today's Unified Command Group Meeting. These numbers change throughout each day.
SEARCH & RESCUE/EVACUATION UPDATE
• In St. James Parish, the Guard is assisting with sandbagging operations and 150 Guardsmen. The National Guard is conducting Search and Rescue Operations in St. James Parish with 146 Guardsmen, eight high-water vehicles and five Humvees. The Guard is also continuing security operations with six Guardsmen in support of local law enforcement in Gramercy.
• In St. Tammany Parish, the Guard is continuing operations with 253 Guardsmen and is prepared to assist with security and evacuations near Pearl River in support of local authorities with 22 high-water vehicles, 23 Humvees and 21 boat teams.
• DOTD is placing sand along I-10 to construct a berm at Pearl River. The operation was completed on the eastbound side of I-10, near the West Pearl River Bridge, and DOTD forces will continue constructing the berm to the west end of the bridge. A total of 7,000 feet will be constructed, when complete.
• In Livingston Parish, the Guard has staged an 8-man team with four high-water vehicles for Search and Rescue operations as needed.
AGENCY UPDATE
Louisiana National Guard:
• The Louisiana National Guard has 6,660 Soldiers and Airmen on duty in support of the response to Isaac. The Guard has assisted in the rescue and/or evacuation of 5,227 citizens throughout the state.
• The Guard is currently supporting 22 open POD sites:
o Lafourche - 1
o Jefferson - 4
o St. James- 2
o St. John- 4
o Orleans - 6
o Plaquemines - 1
o St. Bernard - 1
o St .Tammany- 3
In terms of POD operations, the National Guard reports that 1,785,561 meals, 3,053,639 bottles of water, 982,529 bags of ice and 42,817 tarps have been distributed.
Ascension Parish
• In Ascension Parish, a 20-man Guard engineer team has emplaced 200ft. of HESCO Bastion barrier.
Caddo
• The Guard is assisting the Louisiana State Police with 20 Guardsmen for security operations at the Jewella shelter.
Jefferson
• In Jefferson Parish, the Guard is conducting security operations in support of the Jefferson Parish Sherriff's Office at the POD sites.
Orleans Parish
• In Orleans Parish, the Guard has provided security for six shelters and 270 Guardsmen to assist NOPD with security operations.
• The Guard has supported Orleans Parish in clearing approximately 16.6 miles of debris.
Plaquemines Parish
• In Plaquemines Parish, the Guard is continuing security operations in support of the Plaquemines Sherriff's Office.
• The Guard is providing generators to support the Belle Chasse Water Treatment Plant, and is conducting aerial resupply missions of commodities for civilians and livestock in Venice and Port Sulphur.
St. Bernard
• In St. Bernard Parish, the Guard is conducting security operations in support of local authorities.
St. John
• In St. John the Baptist Parish, the Guard is continuing security operations with 155 Military Policemen.
Tangipahoa
• In Tangipahoa Parish, the Guard is conducting security operations in support of local authorities.
Sheltering/DCFS:
• To date, there are an estimated 2,739 people registered in shelters across the state. This is a reduction of 788 people since yesterday. The current population at all state-run shelters (both CTN and MSN) is 2,029 evacuees. This is a reduction of 985 evacuees since yesterday.
• This reduction is for a number of reasons – the re-entry of Jefferson, Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes, and evacuees returning on their own. There are 910 evacuees at the Alexandria mega-shelter, 1,114 evacuees at the Jewella shelter in Shreveport, and 5 medical special needs evacuees at the LSU Field House.
• There are an estimated 566 evacuees located at parish run and Red Cross shelters around the state. This is an increase of 95 since this time yesterday as a result of evacuees trying to return home and then going to a local shelter. Red Cross has increased their number of shelters in South Louisiana to accommodate for this. Of those, 8 are at parish-run shelters in impacted areas and 558 are located at Red Cross shelters around the state. The only parish-run shelter with a census is the St. Bernard Recreation Center with 8 evacuees.
• The Federal Special Needs Shelter at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans has 47 evacuees.
• USDA has approved the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) in nine parishes -- Ascension, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. John the Baptist and St. Tammany.
• There have been a total of 108,831 pre-applications for DSNAP. Of these, 14,741 were submitted within the last 24 hours. A total of 51,210 pre-applications have been submitted in the parishes declared for DSNAP.
• Since Monday, United Way 211 has received 35,438 calls.
• The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports that 15,000 hot meals were served yesterday and 45,000 hot meals were served by faith-based groups.
Department of Transportation and Development:
• DOTD is anticipating returning the Edgard/Reserve ferry to service this afternoon.
• LA Swift, the bus service that provides coach bus rides between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, will resume service on Tuesday, September 4.
• To date, more than 215.9 miles of roadway have been cleared. DOTD crews have picked up 1,391 cubic yards of debris from across the affected areas and repaired 493 traffic signals across the affected areas.
• DOTD has hauled 6,850 sandbags, and 2,628 cubic yards of RAP/stone is being use for emergency relief efforts.
• DOTD is continuing with efforts to rebuild access to La. 1, between Port Fourchon and Grand Isle, by clearing marsh grass and placing stone. DOTD has used approximately 3,900 tons of crushed stone to assist with this effort.
• In Plaquemines Parish, DOTD will be clearing La. 23, which is currently impassable due to flooding, marsh grass and other debris.
• In St. John the Baptist, DOTD crews have cleared and opened all state routes and will begin clearing debris pushed from roadways as soon as water subsides.
Department of Health & Hospitals:
• Across the state, 80 nursing homes lost power. Power has been restored at 75 nursing homes, and five nursing homes are running on generator power. Across the state, 11 nursing homes evacuated. Seven have since returned and four are still evacuated.
• Since yesterday, there have been 9 net fewer nursing homes and 997 fewer residents residing in homes operating on generator power. 10 nursing homes returned to normal power operations.
• Across the state, 60 hospitals lost power. Power has been restored at all hospitals and no hospitals are running on generators.
• There are 226 ambulances in the state, as follows:
o 91 State ambulances
o 4 Contracted Support ambulances
o 111 Federal ambulances
o 20 Para transit vehicles
• DHH expects to close the LSU Fieldhouse today.
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority:
• CPRA has provided a total of 29 pumps to the parishes of Plaquemines, St. Charles, Lafourche, St. James, Jefferson and St. Tammany. This is a reduction of six from the 35 reported yesterday due to the return of 6 pumps from Lafourche Parish.
• Mechanics are en route to the St. John Airport Pump Station in the town of Reserve in St. John the Baptist Parish to repair two existing 60" pumps. CPRA may procure additional temporary pumping capacity to further assist the parish.
• CPRA is deploying damage assessment teams today to the following areas: Port Fourchon and Grand Isle.
• CPRA coordinated the delivery of 300 linear feet of sandbags to the sewage lift station in St. John. As of this morning, the water has receded 16" and conditions continue to improve.
• CPRA is preparing efforts to regulate a 200-foot opening that has developed in a back levee in the Braithwaite-Scarsdale area of Plaquemines Parish. This is different than the intentional breach that has been working effectively to lower floodwaters in those communities. To keep this newly-formed opening from developing into a greater flood risk, CPRA is working with the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West (SLFPA-W) and the La. National Guard to arrange logistics for staging and airlifting 2,000-pound sandbags to be placed into the opening to prevent expansion and further degradation of that back levee as soon as floodwaters recede or conditions dictate.
• CPRA coordinated the delivery of 300 gallons of diesel fuel by airboat to power the generator supplying electricity to the LaPlace Park Pump Station on Sunday.
• CPRA continues to monitor the situation with the lock walls on the Pearl River Navigation Lock No. 2. As of this morning, the lock walls appear stable, and the Corps is continuing to drain the lock chamber to reduce stress on the lock walls.
• CPRA reports that there have been tar balls found on Elmer's Island.
Division of Administration:
• To date, state agencies have spent $96 million and parishes have spent over $10.1 million.
• The state is submitting another $6 million to FEMA for reimbursement today.
Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry:
• The Department of Agriculture & Forestry is coordinating with the Guard to air drop round bales of hay to stranded cattle.
• The Department of Agriculture & Forestry has delivered 381,997 gallons of fuel.
Public Service Commission:
• There are roughly 124,000 outages, or six percent of the state.
FEMA:
• FEMA reports that there are five Disaster Recovery Centers open. To date, 64,861 people have registered for Individual Assistance, with $1,660,570 approved for housing assistance and $219,428 for other needs.
Department of Environmental Quality:
• The Department of Environmental Quality will have an overflight of the Mississippi River from river mile 40 to the Sunshine bridge, which will include assessment of the industrial facilities in St Charles and St. John Parishes.
