[StBernard] RESIDENTS WITH TRANSPORTATION SHOULD GET OUT OF ST. BERNARD PARISH NOW

[Westley Annis]

RESIDENTS WITH TRANSPORTATION SHOULD GET OUT OF ST. BERNARD PARISH NOW
Weather conditions are expected to worsen quickly; parish making ready for
hurricane response activities

St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro said it is not too late to
evacuate if you have transportation, but the window is quickly going.

"Get out now," Taffaro said around 5 p.m., as the weather is beginning to
deteriorate with winds picking up in the Chalmette area as the outer reaches
of Hurricane Gustav come into the area.

"It is time to make the right decision and leave," Taffaro said. "We are
instructing everyone to leave."

 The mandatory evacuation and curfew is in place for the duration of the
storm.

Taffaro said residents who choose to ignore the mandatory evacuation order
must know that they will be on their own for the duration of the event
because first responders will not  be able to assist during dangerous
hurricane conditions.

While Taffaro strongly encouraged all residents to evacuate, he said those
who are staying should, "gather drinkable water, gather non-perishable
goods, practice your escape route. You need to know how to get out. By no
means, should you take this as me encouraging you to stay.. This is a bad
decision if you decide you to stay."

Parish government personnel are being housed in the St. Bernard Parish
Government Complex on Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. Pump operators are
being housed in safe houses.

"We have now stopped our hurricane preparations and we are started to
prepare for response activities," Taffaro said as of 4 p.m.

Because the storm increased its forward speed, officials with the Lake
Borgne Basin Levee District were forced to close the locks at Bayou Dupre
and Bayou Bienvenue at noon, slightly earlier than expected.

Taffaro said that St. Bernard Parish successfully assisted more than 200
people on Saturday with evacuation transportation as well as an additional
20 who called early on Sunday. At this point, the parish can no longer
assist with evacuations as officials are ready to bunker down as weather
conditions should be worsening shortly. 

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