The following is a press release from officials in Lafourche Parish in preparation of Hurricane Ida.
Lafourche Declares State of Emergency in Preparation for Ida
No Evacuations Called, Schools Remain Closed Monday
With Hurricane Ida approaching the Gulf Coast, Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph has declared a State of Emergency for the Parish of Lafourche, effective at 7:00 a.m. this morning, Monday, November 9, 2009. At this time, NO evacuations have been called for residents of Lafourche Parish. Officials will continue monitoring Ida throughout the day in case there are any changes in the projected path.
Hurricane Ida is projected to hit the Gulf Coast well east of Lafourche Parish, but winds and rain from Ida could cause flooding concerns for some residents in the parish, especially those living outside hurricane levee protection systems on the southern end of Lafourche. Officially, Lafourche Parish is under a “Tropical Storm Warning,” meaning that tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours.
Parish President Charlotte Randolph said past experience has dictated that Lafourche Parish must be concerned, even with a smaller storm not making a direct hit. “We all remember Tropical Storm Cindy, and many residents weren’t concerned with it, and it ended up brining a lot of rain and flooding to our parish,” said Randolph. “We hope the threat of this storm continues to lessen throughout the day, but we always need to be prepared just in case.”
All public and private schools in Lafourche Parish are closed today. Only central office supervisors, school administrators and custodial and maintenance staff are to report to work today. Nicholls State University is still on “standby alert”. Classes will go on as scheduled, and officials will reconvene at 9:00 A.M. to make any further decisions regarding classes.
Additionally, the 17th Judicial District courts, as well as the Lafourche Clerk of Court and Registrar of Voters Offices will all be closed today.
As of 6:00 A.M., the center of Hurricane Ida was located about 235 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Ida has weakened to a Category 1 storm with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour and is moving toward the north-northwest at 16 miles per hour.
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