ST. CHARLES PARISH, La. — St. Charles Parish officials have announced a mandatory evacuation for all residents in the parish.
The evacuation order is effective Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
“This is a storm everyone needs to take seriously. We are likely to see tropical storm force and hurricane strength winds for longer than Hurricane Katrina, a storm surge of 4-7 feet and the possibility of 20 inches of rain. We want residents to head our warnings and make preparations to leave now,” Parish President Mathew Jewell said.
The evacuation will not be enforced, allowing people to stay in their homes if they wish.
But for those with elderly or vulnerable family members, an assisted evacuation will begin Monday. Anyone needing to utilize the assisted evacuation must call the EOC at 985-783-5050.
While parish officials advised against it, residents choosing to stay should prepare for power outages for an extended period of time which could inhibit water and sewerage services.
"We are not going to pull people out of their homes, we anticipate most people will not leave," St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said. "They have generators, they have food, they know the drill. "
He said the storm could bring massive damage to the area and cut power for more than a week.
"If you have a place to go or somebody who can take you further north, it's not a bad idea," Champagne said.
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