Individuals in the
effected areas are urged
to monitor local media
outlets for updated
information or contact
their local Office of
Emergency Preparedness
(OEP).
Current River Stages:
Red River Landing: 57.7
with a NWS forecast
crest of 59.5 ft on 21
April.
Baton Rouge: 40.5 with a
NWS forecast crest of
42.0 ft on 21 April.
Carrollton gage: 16.5 ft
with a NWS forecast
crest of 17.0 ft on 16
April.
Morgan City gage: 6.6 ft
with a NWS forecast
crest of 7.5 ft on 17
April.
Governor’s Office of
Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness:
GOHSEP is maintaining
constant contact with
our Federal, State and
Local partners during
the duration of this
incident.
Per the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers’ threat
assessment of the main
line levees on the
Mississippi River from
Northern Louisiana to
the Gulf of Mexico and
the main line levees in
the Atchafalaya River,
there is no expected
overtopping based on the
current river crest
forecast by the NWS at
this time. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers has
increased their
monitoring of levees
from 3 days a week to 7
days a week (USACE Level
2 Activation).
United State Army Corps
of Engineers:
The Mississippi River
Commission has approved
our recommendation to
begin operations of the
Bonnet Carre’ Spillway
on 11 April.
We will operate the
spillway to divert
excess flood waters from
the Mississippi River to
Lake Pontchartrain. Our
flood fighting teams
will continue to
surveillance of the
levee system seven days
per week in support of
the Levee Boards and LA
DOTD. The National
Weather Service (NWS)
revised their river
forecast upward and also
revised the crest dates
for areas below Red
River Landing. We will
continue to assess the
conditions as they
develop and coordinate
with our partners and
stakeholders on our
activities. We will
operate the flood
control system with the
primary concern for the
safety of the public and
the national interest.
Louisiana
Department of
Agriculture and
Forestry:
The Louisiana Department
of Agriculture and
Forestry has been in
contact with St. Martin
Parish OEP and is aware
of a poultry producer
who is mitigating
possible high water.
LDAF head quarter’s
equipment has been
inspected to make sure
it is in proper working
order for possible
deployment. This
includes the Louisiana
Agriculture Emergency
Response Team trailer, a
portable cattle corral,
generator-powered light
towers and portable
livestock panels.
Agriculture and Forestry
Commissioner Mike
Strain, D.V.M., is
awaiting response from
USDA Secretary Ed
Schafer regarding a
disaster declaration.
Louisiana Department of
Transportation and
Development:
DOTD is hauling loose
sand from a gravel pit
in Sicily Island
(Catahoula parish) to a
location in Vidalia
(Concordia parish) to be
used for sandbagging,
and is subsequently
hauling the filled sand
bags to various points
along the Mississippi
River levee in Tensas
and Concordia parishes.
DOTD has allocated 40
dump trucks with drivers
and fuel to this task.
DOTD plans to continue
as needed and requested
by the Fifth Louisiana
Levee District.
In addition, DOTD has
delivered 20 road closed
signs to the Concordia
Parish Police Jury for
their use in areas of
rising water
Louisiana Department of
Health and Hospitals:
DHH will continue to
survey health care
facilities, sewage
systems and drinking
water systems to try and
determine their
vulnerability to
flooding and their
readiness to respond
should they experience
flooding.
Louisiana State Police:
LSP is coordinating with
GOHSEP, local officials,
Louisiana Sheriff’s
Association and the
Louisiana National
Guard, all of whom have
an active role in
providing personnel and
equipment as needed to
ensure public safety.
LSP is also providing
aerial surveillance
capabilities, as
requested, along the
Louisiana Levee System
for the monitoring of
water levels and levee
conditions.
LSP will continue to
support this mission
until such time as the
waters levels recede or
the need for security no
longer exists.
Louisiana National
Guard:
The Louisiana National
Guard remains on alert
for possible support to
state and local agencies
in anticipation of
possible future flood
conditions.
Across the State, LANG
Soldiers and Airmen are
prepared to provide
engineering,
transportation,
security, communication,
and aviation assets in
support of emergency
operations anywhere in
the state. The
Louisiana National Guard
continues to monitor the
current situation and
provide situational
awareness to LANG forces
24 hours a day.
Louisiana
Department of Public
Safety and Corrections:
Red River Landing at
Angola -- 57.5 feet as
of 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
24-hour perimeter
patrols along the levee
continue and prison
operations are normal.
The Army Corps of
Engineers advised Angola
officials late Thursday
morning of a revised
crest of 59.5 feet
expected on April 21,
2008 (this is one foot
above earlier
projections). The St.
Francisville Ferry was
closed around noon today
due to water on the
roadway that drivers use
to access the ferry.
Even though Angola is
using crew boats to
transport many employees
across the river, the
closure of the St.
Francisville ferry will
impact some employees
getting to the job on
time or at all. A
prolonged ferry closure
could also impact Spring
Rodeo attendance at
Angola on April 19-20.
Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries:
Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries
(LDWF) Secretary Robert
Barham has announced a
14-day oyster season in
the public oyster seed
grounds of St. Bernard
Parish in the Department
of Health and Hospitals
(DHH) harvest areas one,
two, and three. These
areas will open at
one-half hour before
sunrise on Sunday, April
13, 2008 and will close
at one-half hour after
sunset on Saturday,
April 26, 2008.
Harvestable quantities
of oyster resources
continue to exist in
these public oyster seed
grounds and the opening
of the Bonnet Carre
Spillway will place that
resource in danger.
With the resource in
danger from the spillway
opening, it has been
determined that allowing
limited harvest of the
resource is in the best
interest of the
Louisiana oyster
industry. The limited
harvest would provide
economic opportunity to
the oyster industry as
it continues to
rehabilitate from the
hurricane impacts of
2005.
Louisiana Department of
Social Services:
The Department of Social
Services has undertaken
several proactive
measures to ensure that
the DSS workforce, our
constituents and
partners are prepared in
the event that any
flooding should occur:
The Office of the
Secretary has engaged
licensed adult
residential facilities
within the potentially
affected areas to ensure
that their emergency
plans are in order and
that they are ready to
respond. Of the 228
adult residential
facilities that DSS
licenses, 53 are located
in the parishes of
concern.
The Office of Community
Services has contacted
the 25 child residential
providers in the
potential flood areas
with the same purpose to
ensure their readiness
regarding the children’s
safety in the event of
an emergency. The office
had also reached foster
families in the risk
areas to verify their
preparation for care of
foster children in the
event of any flooding.
Additionally, the
Office of Family Support
has notified its federal
partners in the U.S.
Department of
Agriculture to be
prepared in the event
that the Disaster Food
Stamp Program should
need to be activated.
