[StBernard] St. Bernard under a voluntary evacuation OUTSIDE the hurricane protection levees

[Westley Annis]

THE ST. BERNARD PARISH PRESIDENT AND THE ST. BERNARD PARISH COUNCIL ANNOUNCE
A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER FOR THE AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE HURRICANE
PROTECTION LEVEES

St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro, Jr. and members of the Parish
Council held a press conference Wednesday to announce the details of the
voluntary evacuation of the area of St. Bernard Parish outside the hurricane
protection levees.

The call for a voluntary evacuation is a response to the National Weather
Service update at 4 p.m. today, September 10, 2008. During the update, the
National Weather Service stated that St. Bernard Parish could experience
storm surge of 4 to 6 feet.  The situation could be worsened with the
expected high tide tomorrow around midday. The high tide could raise the
water level 2 feet, and then the surge could build on top of that high tide.

As of 6 p.m. today, September 10, 2008, Taffaro called a state of emergency
for the areas of St. Bernard outside of the hurricane protection levees.

The voluntary evacuation order for the unprotected areas will be in effect
at 8 p.m. tonight.

The water is not expected to fall until late Friday night or early Saturday
morning.

Anyone who chooses to stay in the areas outside of the protection levees are
urged to have supplies of water and food to last for several days. The
rising water will probably make most roads impassable.

The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff?s Office is starting to travel the areas
outside of the levee protection system to announce the voluntary evacuation.

The Bayou Bienvenue and Bayou Dupre locks are closed at this time and will
be closed until the Lake Borgne Levee District has determined that it is
safe for them to be re-opened.

There is no voluntary evacuation order or recommended evacuation order for
the areas of St. Bernard Parish within the hurricane protection levees.

Tune to the local media for information. Also, St. Bernard Parish Government
will be issuing updates on its website at www.sbpg.net
<http://www.sbpg.net/> , on its cable access station at channel 76 for Cox
Communications customers and on its emergency communications radio station
at 1680-AM.




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