St. Charles Parish Hurricane Ida update 10/8

Published 3:54 pm Friday, October 8, 2021

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Hahnville, LA – President Matthew Jewell and St. Charles Parish Government are continuing their recovery efforts throughout the parish in response to Hurricane Ida. Below is a list of updates for residents as of Friday, October 8, 2021.

Garbage and Debris

Pelican Waste & Debris, LLC has temporarily revised its garbage pick-up schedule to ensure all areas of the parish are serviced sufficiently. The updated schedule is as follows:

  • Monday: Killona and Hahnville to I-310, Des Allemands and Paradis
  • Tuesday: Ama, I-310 E from Magnolia Ridge to Willowdale in Luling, everything south of Hwy 90
  • Wednesday: Montz, Norco, New Sarpy to Ormond Village
  • Thursday: Hwy 306 and all of Bayou Gauche, Luling from I-310 E to Evelyn Drive, everything north of Hwy 90
  • Friday: I-310 E East Bank from the Hale Boggs Bridge through St. Rose
  • Saturday: Schexnaydre Lane to I-310 between Airline and St. Rose

Debris pick-up throughout the parish is well underway. As of Thursday, October 7, 2021, more than 627,000 cubic yards out of approximately 2 million cubic yards of debris have been picked up throughout the parish. Residents must remember to leave debris unbagged and separate it into the following piles: vegetative debris, construction debris, household hazardous waste, white goods and electronics.

Request a New Trash Can

If a trash can was lost or damaged due to Hurriane Ida, residents can request a new one through the following link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1ef39bd07a76470db951e9fa23b80348?portalUrl=https%3A%2F%2FSCPGIS.maps.arcgis.com&fbclid=IwAR2cw1fElwpzG7IDPhzNzABeOv38RNTnogwVUh_hQLo8yBqJC4JDeV5QB6U

Residents are asked to remain patient as trash can delivery will take some time.

Parks and Recreation

The Department of Parks and Recreation has suspended all fall activities and closed facilities due to damage caused by Hurricane Ida.

The following parks have been reopened after being cleaned and assessed.

Ama – St. Mark’s Park

Bayou Gauche – Bayou Gauche Park

Des Allemands – JB Green Park, Des Allemands Walking Park, Des Allemands Boat Launch

Destrehan – Panther Run, Nottoway Park, Red Church Park

Hahnville – Fashion Plantation Park, Keller St. Park, Holy Rosary Park

Luling – Ashton Park, Monsanto Park Playground (Tennis Courts & Ball Fields remain closed), Lagattuta Park, R.K. Smith Park

New Sarpy – Collins Park, East Harding Park, West Harding Park

Norco – Goodhope St. Park, Sacred Heart Park, Bonnet Carre’ Spillway Boat Launch

The remaining 28 community parks remain closed until further notice while the department conducts assessments, inspections and vital repairs. The parks will be reopened once deemed safe.

The inside of the Edward A. Dufresne Community Center remains closed to the public.

FEMA Updates

Residents may apply for FEMA assistance online at disasterassistance.gov, via its 24/7 phone line at 800-621-3362, or in-person. All centers follow COVID-19 precautions and masks are required for both FEMA specialists and survivors.

To apply for FEMA assistance and make amendments to applications, visit the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center daily from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Edward A. Dufresne Community Center in Luling at 247 Judge Edward Dufresne Pkwy.

Residents in need of housing must apply for assistance through FEMA at www.disasterassistance.org.

Appeal Information

Appeal letters must be sent to FEMA within 60 days of the date of the determination letter, and evidence to support your appeal request must be included. The appeal must be signed, dated, and have the nine-digit FEMA application number, disaster number, and proof documents.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

The application deadline for Disaster Unemployment Assistance has been extended until November 2.

 

Generator or Chainsaw Reimbursements

Residents who purchased or rented a chainsaw and/or generator due to Hurricane Ida may be eligible for reimbursement. Residents must submit receipts to FEMA.

Operation Blue Roof

October 15 is the last day residents can sign up for a free roof through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Operation Blue Roof program. To register, call 888-ROOF-BLU or 888-766-3258, or visit Blueroof.us.

 

Other Resources

The following are additional resources available to residents.

Crisis Cleanup Hotline

If you need assistance with damage from Hurricane Ida, call the Crisis Cleanup Hotline at 844-965-1386 to ask for help. The hotline will connect residents with volunteers from organizations who may be able to assist with cutting fallen trees, drywall, flooring and appliance removal, tarping roofs and mold mitigation. The hotline is open through October 8.

 

Disaster Distress Helpline

HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration activated its helpline. This toll-free, multilingual crisis support service is available 24/7 via phone or text at 800-985-5990.

 

Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP)

DSNAP interviews are open for St. Charles Parish. If SNAP clients are eligible for additional benefits in the event of a disaster, those benefits would be loaded onto their EBT cards automatically, or the SNAP recipients would have to submit a form through a process other than the DSNAP.

Residents should call 1-888-524-3578 through Saturday, October 9.

Additional information can be found by texting LADSNAP to 898-211 or by visiting dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.

Louisiana Hurricane Ida Sheltering Program

Governor John Bel Edwards announced through the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness that Louisiana is opening the Hurricane Ida Sheltering Program, which will provide temporary housing to people in heavily impacted parishes where other sheltering options are currently unavailable.

For more information or to register for the program, visit idashelteringla.com or call 844-268-0301.

Local Small Business Disaster Loans

South Central Planning & Development Commission (SCPDC) launched a new loan program to assist local small businesses with Hurricane Ida economic recovery.

The loan program is NOT associated with SBA and is NOT forgivable. Funds can be used for working capital. Eligibility, terms, requirements and other details can be found by clicking HERE.

 

Election Update

Due to Hurricane Ida, the October 9 election has been postponed to November 13. St. Charles Parish has a Mosquito Abatement Renewal on the ballot slated for 1.06 mills tax (an estimated $1.8 million per year) to reduce, control, eradicate and study mosquitoes and other arthropods of public health importance and all other activities related to mosquito control. The proposed renewal is not a new tax nor an increase to the current millage. The renewal would last for 10 years, from 2022-2031.

Important Dates for the election are as follows:

Wednesday, October 13 – Last Day to Register to Vote in person or by mail

Saturday, October 23 – Last Day to Register to Vote online at geauxvote.com

Tuesday, November 9 – Last Day to request an absentee by mail ballots

Saturday, October 30 & Monday, November 1 – Saturday, November 6 – Early Voting

Friday, November 12 – Last day for the registrar to receive voted absentee ballot

Saturday, November 13 – Election Day

Prior Updates

Government Buildings

The courthouse is now open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. including the Assessor’s Office and the Clerk of Court. The second floor of the courthouse remains closed to the public as renovations are ongoing.

The 29th Judicial District Court reopened Friday, October 1. Damage to the courthouse has required temporary relocation of the court. Judicial officer chambers, staff offices and hearing rooms have been established at One American Place, Second Flood, 13919 River Road in Luling. A temporary courtroom has been established at 13899 River Road in Luling. For more information, visit www.29jdc.org.

The Office of Motor Vehicles located at 15012A River Road in Hahnville has reopened. Its hours are Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The office closes for lunch daily between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

 

Waterworks

Due to debris inhibiting the ability to read meters parish-wide, Waterworks is moving to a flat-rate billing process and will follow its regular billing cycles.

Beginning October 8, 2021, residential customers will receive a flat-rate bill of $65, covering water usage, sewer, and garbage services.

Residents with irrigation meters will be charged an additional $5. This amount is less than the average residential bill as calculated by the department annually. Normal billing operations will resume once water meters become accessible.

The phone lines at the Waterworks office have been restored. However, the main building is still closed.

Please call 504-252-6819 or 504-252-6824 to contact the department, or residents can visit the department at the back building located at 403 Milling Ave in Luling.

 

For more information: https://www.stcharlesparish.gov/Home/Components/News/News/13846/26?backlist=%2fresidents%2fwaterworks

Planning and Zoning

The St. Charles Parish Council adopted an emergency ordinance with the support of President Jewell to allow the Department of Planning and Zoning to waive local permit fees and various plan review and inspection fees for repairs and renovation required from damage sustained during Hurricane Ida. The emergency ordinance will last through February 28, 2022.

While fees have been waived, residents must apply for permits by emailing permits@stcharlesgov.net with their name, address, phone number, scope of work and contractor’s information.

Permits are needed for roofs, framing, a/c, electrical, gas, plumbing, accessory buildings, patios, demoltions and RV registrations.

To sign up for emergency alerts, visit www.scpemergencyalerts.com or text SCPAlerts to 888777. For more information regarding Ida and St. Charles Parish, please visit our website at www.stcharlesparish.gov, Cox Channel 6, UVerse Channel 99, or follow us on Facebook (@stcharlesgov) and Instagram (@stcharlesgovernment).