NEW ORLEANS — St. Tammany Parish Government officials and emergency operations personnel have begun preparing for potential Pearl River flooding, anticipating the river to reach major flood stage -- 19 feet -- by Wednesday as predicted by the National Weather Service.
The NWS said it was anticipating the threat of moderate flooding along the lower portions of the West Pearl River, as well as areas south of I-10 and East of Military Road.
St. Tammany Parish Government officials have begun following emergency preparedness planning.
St. Tammany residents in the Slidell area can get sandbags at self-service sandbag locations Thursday and Friday after 7 a.m. at the following locations:
- The Fritchie Barn at 63119 Hwy. 1090, Pearl River
- The Airport Barn 34783 Grantham College Drive, Slidell.
Sand and bags will be provided for residents to fill. Residents should bring shovels, and be prepared to fill and load the sandbags.
St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper has urged residents to act in their own best interests
“St. Tammany Parish Government and our Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is in continual communication with the NWS, and we are prepared for the potential impacts from the crest of the river,” Cooper said. “We urge residents in these areas to prepare for the possibility of riverine flooding, and to stay tuned to local media for the latest advisories and updates.”
Crews with the St. Tammany Public Works and Tammany Utilities have been placed on stand-by, and Parish engineers are monitoring river gauges to keep public officials informed.
They will keep the public informed about any emergency preparedness through local media, the St. Tammany Parish government official website and social media.
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