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Hahnville, LA –President Matthew Jewell has signed a declaration of emergency in advance of Tropical Storm Sally, and has ordered a mandatory evacuation for all St. Charles Parish residents as there is a high-probability the storm will cause widespread power outages and inhibit the availability of crucial and emergency services.

“This is a storm everyone needs to take seriously. We are likely to see tropical storm force and hurricane strength winds for longer than Hurricane Katrina, a storm surge of 4-7 feet and the possibility of 20 inches of rain. We want residents to head our warnings and make preparations to leave now,” said President Jewell.

The evacuation order is effective at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 13. Assisted evacuations will begin Monday and should be used as a last resort. Anyone needing to utilize the assisted evacuation, must call the EOC at 985-783-5050.

All government buildings and the courthouse will close tomorrow Monday, September 14, and will remain closed until we can assess storm damages.

While it is not advised, residents choosing to stay should prepare for power outages for an extended period of time which could inhibit water and sewerage services.

Stay tuned to local media, Cox Cable Channel 6 or U-Verse Channel 99, www.stcharlesparish-la.gov, 1-888-SCP-9EOC or 1370 AM in St. Charles Parish for further announcements. Parish social media sites will be updated continuously on Facebook and Twitter (@stcharlesgov) or Instagram (stcharlesgovernment).

To sign up for emergency text messages and e-mails, visit www.stcharlesparish-la.gov and click on ‘Emergency Alert System’ on the left side of the page as well as ‘E-Newsletters’ at the top of the page.

For more information on hurricane preparedness and to download a copy of St. Charles Parish’s ‘BE PREPARED‘ guide, visit www.stcharlesparish-la.gov/hurricane.