NEW ORLEANS -- With a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and a hurricane season expected to be very active, city leaders are urging everyone to make early evacuation plans.
And while they say the city is more protected since Hurricane Katrina, they don't want people getting a false sense of security.
In a show of unity, city officials from several departments announced that they are prepared for the hurricane season. But they said citizens need to do their parts too.
"Taking personal responsibility for yourselves and family is always the most important thing. So you have to begin today to think about preparing your businesses, preparing your property, making a game plan for evacuation," said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
Of extra concern is the uncertainty of what will happen with two threats: a predicted very active hurricane season and the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
"If you need another reason to leave, it's the oil out there. We're not sure what that's going to do to us, but there's little doubt in my mind that if a hurricane comes, that the oil is going to be thrown at us and that's one more good reason to prepare now and if ordered to do so, evacuate," said Lt. Col. Jerry Sneed the Deputy Mayor of Public Safety in New Orleans.
They say there are lessons learned from the past.
"After my briefing with the Corps of Engineers, that as a general rule, the city of New Orleans is more safe and secure than we were before Katrina. I think that's a fair statement," said the mayor. "I think that what the Corps of Engineers is preparing for is to beat back a 100-year storm and that, in some areas of the city, they are close to doing that."
The city leaders did say that this area is more protected since Hurricane Katrina but they also stressed being prepared because some areas are still very vulnerable to dangerous flooding.
"New Orleans East still remains more vulnerable than other parts of the city and I think Council Member-at-Large Clarkson, who I know is a great advocate of District C, recognizes, as do most of us, that the West Bank is still most vulnerable of any other part in the city," added the Mayor.
"Because we (on the West Bank) have been spared for so many years, don't be complacent, because the Harvey Canal is the least fortified at this point, much more fortified than we expected by today, but less ready than some of the East Bank surges that we can prepare for," said Jackie Clarkson, the New Orleans City Council Vice-President.
The city says it has the funds and is prepared to evacuate 30,000 people, using buses and trains. But they say the speed of the winds or category will no longer determine how dangerous a storm is. It will also be how fast the storm is moving and power of the waves and surge.
"Even though most of us have raised our homes in District D, that is not a free pass to stay home. You still need to evacuate. You still need to be prepared and you still need to look out for your neighbor," said Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, New Orleans City Council member from District D.
The mayor and council also stressed today the importance of signing up now for city assisted evacuations.
They say the time to register, if you need help with a city assisted evacuation, is now.
"We found out in (Hurricane) Gustav, that those that wanted to sign up through the 311 system, did so as the hurricane was approaching and it overloaded the system, quite frankly. This is the time right now to get your information into the system so that we're ready, we know where you are, who you are," said Arnie Fielkow, New Orleans City Council president.
To register, call 311 or 504-658-2299 or go to www.cityofno.com.
