Amid pandemic, hurricane prep underway
While all eyes are on the COVID-19 pandemic and precautions to avoid the spread, Atlantic hurricane season begins in less than a month, meaning residents should begin to plan for what they may need for the upcoming season.
Another reminder of the need to get things in order for the season, which begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30, was Hurricane Preparedness Week, which was observed last week.
St. Mary Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness Director David Naquin said residents should begin planning for where they will go if they have to leave, what they will bring and plans for their pets.
If residents will stay, he said they should plan for enough supplies to last three to four days without electricity.
“It’s the batteries for your flashlights and radios, water supply, canned food,” Naquin said. “You don’t want anything that spoils.”
While the parish still is coordinating with others for evacuation shelters outside of the parish while also keeping in mind the COVID-19 pandemic, individual residents should make evacuation plans for their family members who are practicing social distancing.
“With the COVID on top of it, it’s going to make it a little bit more stressful I think for everybody, but at the end of it, again, we’ll be evacuating into areas that normally are clear (of hurricanes),” Naquin said.
However, the COVID-19 threat still will exist in any area.
“We’re not sure how all of this is going to play out just yet,” Naquin said. “Hopefully we’ll start easing the pain a little bit the next week or so. … Certainly, that’s going to have an impact on what do we do and where do we go.”
Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur, who was Naquin’s predecessor as parish Office of Emergency Preparedness director, said that residents also need to keep in mind personal protection equipment when stocking up on supplies.
“The thing that they should consider is keeping a few of those masks on the side that they may need if they have to evacuate for a storm,” he said. “Having sealable drinking water, food that could last for three or four days. All of that is very important right now because of the way things are because you may get to a location and you may not be able to find a store open or available for two or three days.”
In Morgan City, Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi said all city departments will be meeting Friday to discuss their hurricane plans.
“We’ll be putting out all the paraphernalia necessary so all the residents will know what they can do to help prepare,” he said.
Grizzaffi noted that Hurricane Barry a year ago provided a wake-up call for citizens.
“Hurricane Barry really gave us a trial run, because even though it wasn’t a major hurricane, it still caused havoc,” he said.
In Patterson, Mayor Rodney Grogan said downed limbs and water are the city’s biggest issues in a hurricane.
He complimented his citizens for their preps he has seen with trees.
“I just see a lot of people being proactive and cutting a lot of trees down,” he said.
By trimming those trees, that can prevent damage to homes during a hurricane, he said.
Grogan also asked residents to keep their ditches clear and maintain the grass on them, which will help keep water flowing during a rain event. He also asked residents not to blow grass that has been cut into the city’s streets or drains.
For more information on hurricane preparedness, visit http://getagameplan.org/.