The most annually dreaded season of the year in South Louisiana is upon us, Hurricane Season.

Recent tropical scares have prompted the attention of residents and leaders; it’s important to remember to plan accordingly and plan ahead.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has put together a great program: “Get a Game Plan.” The goal is simple, to ensure the proper planning for Louisiana residents by protecting property, reducing the impact of future disasters and potentially saving lives.
Making preparations during an emergency can be a difficult last minute challenge, so plan early and plan ahead. Be sure to identify your possible evacuation locations ahead of time and have multiple options.

Be familiar with evacuation routes as you may be detouring away from routes you are familiar with. If an evacuation hasn’t been called, this doesn’t mean your property is not at risk. Be sure to put away all loose items that are outside and protect all valuables in your home, including important documents.

It’s even suggested to move objects to higher levels, away from windows and cover them for protection.
Most importantly, we need to stay informed. Visit our parish website to sign up for email alerts and receive emergency messages. Tune in to WWL 870 AM Radio, Channel 15 Government Access Channel and all other media outlets.

Tropical Storm Cindy and other serious recent weather events have saturated our grounds and has had our drainage and sewerage systems at high capacity.

We have experienced large amounts of water in streets and drainage arteries that we have never seen before. Canals are eroding, and property is being lost because of the high amounts of water flow.

It’s important for our residents to stay engaged and do their part in assisting the parish with ensuring catch basins, culverts, ditches and other drainage outlets are clear of trash and debris.

The leadership in the River Region has been working extremely hard to advocate for our West Shore Hurricane Protection Levee.

We need your help; call and write your legislators in D.C. to let them know that protecting the River Region must be a priority. Write President Trump requesting expedited funding for the strong national economic driver, the River Parishes.

St. John’s vulnerability to Mother Nature has been proven, and the strong need to expedite this nearly $1 billion project. It is imperative that we continue to promote the significance of the River Region on a national scale.

Levee protection for the River Region cannot be an option but rather a priority in the sustainability of our local and national economy.

For a complete guide to Hurricane Preparedness, visit getagameplan.org and sjbparish.com for local information. Stay safe this hurricane season and don’t forget: Get a Plan.

St. John the Baptist Parish recently conducted its first, in a series of many to follow, code enforcement sweeps of the East and West Banks of the parish that aim to respond to property violations and improve quality of life of all residents.

The Council adopted Ord. No. 17-13 on May 9, which improved and clarified violations pertaining to junk vehicles to better protect residential neighborhoods in the Parish.

The parameters put in place ensure protecting the value of our residents’ homes and quality of life. The first sweep will took place within District IV on June 19.

For more information on the sweep or its results, contact the Code Enforcement Division at g_codeenforcement@stjohn-la.gov.

Saturday, Council member Hotard and myself, along with Parish President Robottom, had the pleasure of dedicating the Dog Park at Thomas F. Daley Memorial Park in memory of Julia C. Luna, who happened to be celebrating her “angelversary” on that very day.

The Parish Council unanimously took official action several Council meetings ago to officially dedicate the Dog Park in Julia’s honor.

Thanks to the help of her mother, Jodi Luna, who was instrumental in helping make this happen. It was an overall beautiful ceremony despite weather conditions.

Julia’s legacy will now live on forever in St. John, as well as her mission: “Adopt ONE until there are NONE.”

Michael P. Wright is St. John the Baptist Parish Council District 5 representative and Council vice chairman. Contact him at District5@sjbparish.com or m.wright@sjbparish.com.