[StBernard] St. Bernard outlines storm plans

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard outlines storm plans
Evacuations will start 72 hours in advance 
Friday, May 26, 2006 

With most of the parish's current residents living in travel trailers, St.
Bernard Parish officials will recommend that residents evacuate at least 72
hours before any storm with tropical storm-force winds makes landfall. 

And depending on the path of the storm, officials say that recommendation
could become a mandatory evacuation order. 

Tropical storms have winds of between 39 mph and 73 mph. 

The recommendations, made during the parish's annual hurricane summit
Thursday, differ sharply from those of last hurricane season, when officials
asked residents to leave 50 hours in advance of Category 2 or stronger
hurricanes, said Larry Ingargiola, director of the parish Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness. 

Parish President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez said the parish is prepared for
orderly evacuations because fewer people are living in the parish and even
fewer are living outside the hurricane levee system. 

Officials estimate that some 20,000 of the parish's pre-Katrina population
of 67,000 residents have returned. And since Katrina swamped 27,000 homes in
the parish, the vast majority of the current residents live in trailers that
are not built to withstand heavy winds. 

"We don't anticipate as much of a problem as last year because we know what
we have to take care of," Rodriguez said. 

Chief Deputy Anthony Fernandez said the Sheriff's Office will station its
personnel and supplies out of harm's way on higher land than they did for
Katrina. Fernandez said the Sheriff's Office will house key personnel at the
parish's new jail near the Mississippi River and the American Sugar Refinery
on the Mississippi River in Arabi in the event of a storm. 

Parish officials cautioned residents not to use their gutted homes as
shelter for any upcoming storms. Buildings with exposed studs lack the
structural stability to withstand even weak storm systems. 

Another change this year will be the absence of shelters of last resort.
Parish officials say the widespread devastation wrought by Katrina left the
parish without any safe public buildings to house evacuees. 

Ingargiola said anyone with special needs who will require transportation
for a storm should call his office at (504) 278-4268. 

And Ken Winters, director of the parish's government access television
channel, said the broadcast will be available via the Internet. Residents
will be able to link to the channel through the parish government Web site
at www.sbpg.net.