Above-average hurricane season forecast

Hurricane season officially began Thursday, and coastal Louisiana residents should make sure they have all the essentials to be ready for a potential storm.

Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center say the Atlantic could see another above-normal hurricane season this year, according to an article on the administration’s website. The season continues through Nov. 30.

They predict a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher, of which five to nine could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including two to four major hurricanes of a Category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher.

An average season produces 12 named storms of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

St. Mary Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Duval Arthur recommends people keep a list of items, including food, personal items, paperwork and bedding, on hand to be ready for hurricane season.

If a storm warrants evacuation, Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria is the designated shelter for residents of St. Mary Parish and lower St. Martin Parish.

Suggested food includes canned fruit, dried fruit, fruit roll-ups, canned vegetables, spam, beef jerky, canned chicken, canned tuna, canned soup, a gallon of bottled water per day per person, crackers and peanut butter.

Personal items to keep on hand include medicine for one week, a washcloth and towel, soap and shampoo, a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, a hair brush, shaving kit, sewing kit, feminine hygiene supplies, paper towels, extra garbage bags, a flashlight with extra batteries and a battery-operated radio with extra batteries.

People should have any insurance policies, birth certificates, marriage licenses, death records, driver’s license, other identification, credit card info, a list of household items valued over $200 and medicine prescriptions with refill information easily accessible on a thumb drive or CD, Arthur said.

Bedding items such as sleeping bags, pillows and blankets, should be readily accessible, too.

The following timeline shows the evacuation schedule, if evacuation is deemed necessary, before a storm is forecast to hit St. Mary Parish.

—48 hours: Evacuate jails, hospitals and nursing homes.

—36 Hours: Evacuate those with no transportation to Rapides Coliseum and also evacuate those living in mobile homes and those living south of the Intracoastal Waterway.

—24 Hours: Mandatory evacuation of everyone else. The train bridge closes in the “down position.” Locks will shut down.