With the 2008 hurricane season, Plaquemines Parish is better prepared than in 2007; however, we are still very vulnerable due to weak spots in the levee systems. Nonetheless, your Parish Government has been working diligently to ensure the safety of lives and property in Plaquemines Parish. While we wait for FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers to address the many post-Katrina needs of our parish, we have taken steps to fix areas of our levees ourselves. Many of the federal levee projects are in the design stages which means safer and stronger levees are still years away.
As of June 1, 2008 parish crews increased the height of the Oakville levees to eight feet. Parish crews also repaired two low spots on 'Diamond' along the St. Jude back levee to elevations just over 9.5 feet.
In addition, we are encouraging owners of ‘private’ levees to make repairs to these partially eroded levees that could pose a danger to nearby landowners and residents. We want to thank Conoco Phillips for being a good corporate citizen- especially for repairing levees on itsland. Retention tubes, sand, and equipment have been stockpiled and are ready for deployment should the need arise. Contracts have also been signed with debris removal companies and other companies to help in the aftermath of a storm to ensure the quickest and safest return to normalcy.
*Please Note: Lower Plaquemines may need to evacuate in the event of a tropical storm or even severe rain storm due to the compromised levees and lack of adequate protection from storm surge. Therefore we encourage residents to constantly monitor this website, news stations and radio stations for the latest evacuation and other information during inclement weather situations. We will utilize all media outlets as well as our own emergency personnel to inform residents when and if the need to evacuate should arise.
Make sure you have a personal plan and know the evacuation routes out of the area as well as the contra-flow and shelter information which is now available on this website. Most importantly, contact OEP if you have any questions or need assistance at (504) 297-5660.
