Gov. Bobby Jindal visited St. John the Baptist Parish’s Emergency Operations Center this evening where he met with local officials to get a firsthand look at the evacuation efforts in the parish.

 

Storm surge in Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas has caused significant flooding in the parish and officials are working to evacuate a total of up to 3,000 people. At this time, roughly 1,500 residents have evacuated. The state has deployed a significant number of resources to help residents evacuate.

 

The state has dispatched 89 coaches to the area to assist with evacuation efforts. These buses will help transport residents to shelters in Alexandria and Shreveport. The buses will also be helping to evacuate an assisted living facility in the community.

 

The National Guard currently has seven high-water vehicles on the ground and about 25 high-water vehicles are en route. The Guard has eight Humvees and ten boat teams on the way. The Guard will also be providing 9,000 MREs.

 

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has 30 boats on site and 20 additional boats are en route to help with the evacuation efforts.  

 

The parish also shut down part of their water system. The National Guard is deploying around 35,000 bottles of water and two 5,000 gallon water tankers. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and the Department of Transportation and Development are sending two-hundred 2,000 pound super sack sandbags to develop a protection system for the water system.