PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT. Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news from St. Mary Now. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!
Sheriff Blaise Smith is advising the following information for the public. We will continue to update this post today, Monday, August 30, 2021, as more information becomes available.
***************
EVACUATIONS LIFTED: The voluntary and mandatory evacuations have been lifted.
.
TRAVEL INFORMATION: Roadways from the west and north are clear, roadways from the east through Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes are more problematic. Highway 90 is open from Des Allemands to St. Mary Parish.
Contact https://www.511la.org/ for information on Louisiana roadways.
.
POWER OUTAGES: power is out in some areas of eastern St. Mary Parish. Mobile phone service is out for many in the eastern part of the parish as well.
.
SMPSO PHONE LINES: We have the following lines working: 337-828-5992 and 337-828-0588.
.
CELL PHONE SERVICE: Cell phone service on the east side of the parish is not reliable at this time.
.
SMPSO CIVIL/ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES & RANGE: closed today.
.
From the National Weather Service
Hurricane Ida had knocked out power to more than 972,000 Louisiana customers by 9:50 p.m. Sunday, according to the poweroutage.us.
Cleco was reporting 6,564 St. Mary customers without power.. Cleco has 18,905 St. Mary customers.
Among customers of other utilities, 9,652 of about 10,000 customers were without power in Assumption.
Fewer than 600 of Terrebonne's 27,000 electricity customers still had power.
From St. Martin Parish government:
St. Martin has announced a change in its curfew. It will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday and continue until noon Sunday.
From St. Mary Parish government:
****ST. MARY PARISH CURFEWS*****
.
Morgan City, Berwick, Patterson, and Franklin: 6 pm on Sunday until 6 am on Monday
.
St. Mary Parish President David Hanagriff has issued a curfew from Dusk on Sunday to Dawn on Monday.
***********
IMPORTANT: if you are not following local agencies and local media outlets on Facebook, this is a good time to do so.
Examples would be:
*St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office
*Local police departments
*Local fire departments
*St. Mary Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
*Your local town/Mayor
*Local St. Mary Parish media outlets
*National Weather Service-Lake Charles
These agencies and people will keep you informed very well with information that pertains to you and your parish/town.
The National Hurricane Center reported at 11:55 a.m. that Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon as a strong Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph.
A hurricane warning remains in effect for St. Mary, which National Weather Service predictions say could feel winds of 70 mph by 3 p.m. and 78 mph by 6 p.m.
Although 10-15 inches of rain are predicted for the area east of St. Mary, the local prediction is closer to 3 to 8 inches. Storm surge flooding is expected at Burns Point and Cypremort Point.
Patterson, Berwick and Morgan City have called for 6 p.m.-6 a.m. curfews.
At 11:56 a.m., north wind of 22 mph with gusts to 31 mph were being recorded at Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport near Patterson.
HURRICANE IDA 10 AM UPDATE FROM US NWS LAKE CHARLES 8.29.21:
Ida could still bring hurricane force wind gusts in parts of St. Martin, Iberia, and St. Mary Parishes this afternoon and tonight.
Tropical storm force winds can be expected across the remainder of south central Louisiana.
Highest rain totals of 3 to 8 inches are possible in the rain bands in south central Louisiana.
Cypremort Point and Burns Point will flood 1-2 ft from storm surge late tonight into Monday morning
The Patterson Volunteer Fire Department thanked the Bayou Vista Volunteer Fire Department, the Patterson Police Department, and the St Mary Parish Sheriff's Department for their assistance evacuating the Patterson Healthcare Center. Without their help this wouldn't have been possible, the Patterson department said on its Facebook page, where this photo was posted.
From the National Weather Service in Lake Charles
From the Morgan City Police Department Facebook page:
Chief James F. Blair and the Morgan City Police Department announce that the City of Morgan City will be imposing a CITY WIDE CURFEW that will be in effect tonight at 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Monday morning. We ask that everyone shelter in place at this time and remain off the streets through the duration of Hurricane Ida. Officers will be on patrol assuring the safety of all of our citizens. Again please shelter in place and do not leave your home for sightseeing purposes.
Stay Safe!!!
Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255