Baton Rouge –The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) along with key Federal, State and Local agencies are actively monitoring flood stage levels along the Louisiana levee system.

On March 24^th, Governor Bobby Jindal declared a State of Emergency due to rivers cresting above flood stage.  This declaration extends from March 24 through April 22, 2008, unless terminated sooner.  Precautionary measures have also been taken at the local level. St. Martin, Pointe Coupee, Concordia, Vernon, Tensas, Sabine, East Carroll, Madison, Catahoula and LaSalle Parishes have each declared a State of Emergency.

Current River Stages:

Red River Landing: 59.34 with a NWS forecast crest of 60.0 ft on 22 April.

Baton Rouge: 41.85 with a NWS forecast crest of 42.5 ft on 22 April.

Carrollton gage: 16.62 ft with a NWS forecast crest of 17.0 ft on 22 April.

Morgan City gage: 7.23 ft with a NWS forecast crest of 7.6 ft on 24 April.

Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness:

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 on the Atchafalaya River, there is no expected overtopping based on the current river crest forecast by the NWS at this time.

United States Army Corps of Engineers:

There are 84 bays open in the Bonnet Carre spillway and we will open additional bays as we continue to divert excess flood waters in accordance with the water control plan.  Our flood fighting teams are continuing surveillance of the levee system seven days per week in support of the Levee Boards and LA DOTD.  The National Weather Service (NWS) has no rain in the forecast for the lower Mississippi basin until the weekend.  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 Department is continuing daily coordination with other state agencies as well as the Louisiana State Animal Response Team.

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development:

DOTD continues to support the levee districts by hauling sand and sandbags and providing supplemental levee inspections.  Traffic barricades have been provided to Sabine and Pointe Coupee Parishes and road closure signs have been provided to Concordia and Madison Parishes.

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals:

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, in partnership with the Louisiana oyster industry, is considering a precautionary closure of oyster growing waters in some areas impacted by flooding from the opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway.

A decision to issue such a closure order will occur only after DHH conducts water testing of samples drawn from shellfish harvesting areas. Currently, the department is conducting this series of tests. DHH has notified the oyster industry about the possibility of a closure and will provide additional information if and when such a decision is made.

Should this action be taken, DHH will continue to test the harvest areas. Reopening of the waters will occur as soon as it is determined that environmental conditions are within the requirements specified by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.

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:

Employees continue to monitor sand boils at Camps H and F as well as surfaces of entire berm/inner mainland of adjacent areas near the levee.  An additional 500 sandbags were added to the Sand boil at Camp H after silt was discovered there this morning; the site is now stable.

Angola officials remain in contact with the Army Corps of Engineers for advice and are performing daily helicopter flyovers with the West Feliciana Sheriff's Office. Crew boat operations resumed yesterday.  Regular operations continue with plans in place for the weekend rodeo.                                                                                              

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries:

Due to rising floodwaters from the Red River, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has closed Shell Road on the Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in lower Concordia Parish until further notice. 

Shell Road is a 6.5-mile long road that provides east-west access through the center of the 27,000-acre public WMA located approximately 40 miles south of Vidalia.  Shell Road is located just north of the Outflow Channel of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Old River Control Structure. The road has been closed and barricaded for public safety. 

LDWF personnel have been closely monitoring the floodwaters on Three Rivers and Red River WMAs during April.  Even though several thousand acres have been inundated by floodwaters from both the Red River and the Mississippi River, this is the first adverse impact to infrastructure on these areas.

LDWF has also closed the South Farm area on the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Iberville Parish due to flooding conditions. 

Louisiana Department of Social Services:

The Department of Social Services has undertaken several proactive measures to ensure that the DSS workforce, 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 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.