By CALEB FREY

Staff Reporter 

LAPLACE – While St. John Parish was spared from the devastating effects of Katrina last summer, the St. John Office of Emergency Operations feels it’s never too early to have a hurricane plan ready. This was the focus of their hurricane preparedness meeting in the St. John Library Thursday night.

Many people are under the assumption that only breaches in the levee system caused flooding in last year’s storms, according to Kathryn Gilmore, Deputy Director for the St. John Parish Office of Emergency Operations.

She feels it’s important to not become complacent because the storm came so close yet left the River Parishes virtually unscathed.

&#8220The city of Kenner’s storm surge sent the water over their levees; there was no breach,” Gilmore said.

&#8220Had the storm passed seven or eight miles more to the west, we could have experienced the same storm surge.”

Knowing this, Gilmore uses these meetings to help parish residents understand the urgency of the upcoming hurricane season.

She discusses in detail the &#8220Ten Step Survival Plan” which can be found in the TRAC Louisiana Storm Survival Guide.

The booklet contains checklists and ideas for nearly every scenario with reminders and tips on everything from planning an evacuation route to finding pet friendly lodging.

The 60 page booklet can be obtained through Emergency Preparedness or downloaded from the TRAC website at www.trac4la.com.

For more information on upcoming meetings and how to stay prepared for the storm call the St. John Office of Emergency Operations at (985)-652-2222 or access their website at http://stjohnla.us/eoc.asp.