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Evacuees will be sent north
Published Saturday, August 30, 2008
VIDALIA — Emergency officials are saying Concordia Parish should just be another stop along a longer evacuation route for Hurricane Gustav.
New Orleans area officials have said they will begin mandatory evacuations at noon today if the hurricane continues on the path of some weather model projections, in which it is expected to make landfall on the Louisiana coast early Tuesday morning.
“We are going to be directing evacuations to shelters further north,” Vidalia Police Chief Ronnie G. “Tapper” Hendricks said. “Once those shelters fill up, we’ll start using our shelters here.”
That is because, in part, the Vidalia Conference and Convention Center, the newest addition, which is designed to double as a Red Cross evacuation center, has not received a certificate of completion from its contractor, which would make it harder to limit liability, and because the health department has not given it the all clear.
“We couldn’t open that shelter legally if we wanted to,” Concordia Parish Emergency Director Morris White said. “That is the only shelter we have got in Concordia Parish, and the only person who has the power to open it is the governor.”
The decision not to open any shelters in the parish did not lie with him or anyone locally, but rather with the Louisiana State Shelter Taskforce, White said.
“This is the first time since I have been (emergency) director we have not opened a shelter,” he said.
When it does go into use, the Vidalia shelter will ideally be used to house the families of emergency workers while the workers are traveling back and forth to the emergency zones, White said.
In fact, Vidalia’s shelter will be considered, in White’s words, “shelter of last resort.”
Louisiana has evacuation agreements with its neighboring states, and White said they would have to “fill up Arkansas before they sent them here.”
“The further away you are from the Gulf of Mexico, the better,” he said.
Evacuation traffic through Vidalia should not pick up until after the interstates back up and officials begin to fork traffic onto federal and state highways, but White said he has noticed an increase in RVs and vehicles pulling campers through the area.
Hendricks said that the Office of Homeland Security will set up a command center at the former state welcome center, at 1401 U.S. 84, to coordinate evacuation efforts.
Marketing Director for the Alexandria-based American Red Cross Kyra Hall-Turner said the old welcome center will also serve as a point where evacuees can get more information about evacuations.
Meanwhile, the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office has begun preparing for the storm and the possibility of prisoner evacuations from the southern parts of the state, and has ordered extra food and supplies.
“We are ready to send people to help in south Louisiana and our prisons are ready to accept inmate evacuees if needed,” Sheriff Randy Maxwell said.
Comments
Posted by kpage1 (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 6:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I was listening to a New Orleans AM station last night (yes, I'm kooky) and they were telling of all the mandatory evacuations in the southern parishes. I could hardly get to sleep. I'm about to fill up my car this morning so I won't worry when the traffic increases. Yes my friends, I'm worried!
I can hear the highway right now and it is busier than usual for a Sat. morning.
Posted by NatchezBell (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 6:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I feel all shelters should be open to the Public whether Ark. is full or not. That seems like the best prepaired people will be the most put out. The last leaving people will have only a short distance to travel. Well, I guess that dose make sence, since they will be in the storm traveling...
I just pray all make it safe. During Katrina, my daughter & her family lost their home, jobs (boat in Bilouxi) & she even had to give up her kids (5) of them...until they relocated to Panama City Beach, FL Thank God all is well now; so far.
Posted by NatchezBell (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 7:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with (kpage)...fill your cars NOW or be waitning in a 2 hour line or worst...no gas because the electric is out. Also, all should get fresh water, right from your tap, to last at least 1 week, canned meats, food that you can eat with out eletricity & most people forget to have a hand turned can opener because most are electric. Get cash because the ATM will also be down. Don't use candles; they will start fires if unattended, use lanterns. We have battery lanterns; they're great & cheap if you can find them.
Batton down the hatches, Natchez...Good Luck to all...
Posted by bayou (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 7:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree NatchezBell, alot of folks haven't got the extra two or three hundred dollars for gas to Ark. and back. Seams like I remember they had a grand opening and where bragging on how they were sit up for evacuees and could take some in if needed.Being a evacuation shelter helped them get the grants to build the thing! Now that evacuees need it they say its for emergency workers. I think its nothing but a play house for the upper class!
Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on August 30, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
bayou, some of those evacuees are probably not our kind of people and we don't want them messing up our new convention center. Let Natchez open its convention center to the evacuees, it's larger. Or better yet, let them camp out in barns or FEMA camps in Arkansas as this article suggests. We have too many conventions booked around here to tie up our facilities with homeless people.
Posted by picture_music101 (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NO dont let them stop here i mean when katrina hit there was more crimes and stuff happening here more than ever send em all the way to canada
Posted by ThornInYourSide (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
At least Enkikur and Picture_music have some sense! I don't feel sorry for any of those idiots in New orleans. Think about it. A hurricane tears your house up and you move then guess what? here's another hurricane. I bet these idiot will just say "well uncle sam, we need another check now. one for katrina and one for gustav so we can move back to n.o. after we tear up everyone else's nice little towns.". I say instead of evacuating them, let's barricade them in and just let the hurricane take em back to the ocean. I mean hell they mess everyone's towns up so bad that houston don't want them, baton rouge don't want em, even new orleans won't let em back in the super dome. And our parish isn't dumb. they know what these idiots will do to our towns and convention center if we try to help them. Way to concordia parish!!!!!!!! Send everyone of them idiots on up the road!!!!!!!! I just hope we don't end up with any of them in our school system messing up our kids education.
Posted by lookingout (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
amen thorninyourside
Posted by bayou (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yall should be ashamed of your self, these are people you are talking about not dogs. you should look around and count your blessings they are not of your on doings they are blessings. It only takes one good chastising and you could be homeless too. Be thankful not haters!
Posted by Bobaloo (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hate, hate & mo' hate......
jeez.......
Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on August 30, 2008 at 3:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Our hands are tied Bobaloo. If we let evacuees in our convention center we would be in violation of building law. You can't turn to lawlessness just to help people out in an emergency.
Posted by Bobaloo (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
still a lot o hate, Enk......
Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on August 30, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, I know Bobaloo. This really isn't the time to be sarcastic. I was pointing out the irony of a public shelter being closed to the public because of building laws, and I don't recall any earlier discussion in Democrat articles about this just being a shelter for the families of emergency zone workers.
Fact is, when you go to helping people it usually goes against you and you ought to just figure that in as part of the cost of doing it. This is what led Mark Twain to comment that he had repented more for the good things he'd done than for the bad but it didn't stop him from doing good things and shouldn't stop anyone else either.
At least this time a larger evacuation is taking place and there is a plan for getting people with no transportation out even though they don't know where they will end up.
Posted by hutto2007 (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 7:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When you live in a bowl that is surrounded by water and that water has to be CONSTANTLY pumped out to keep your home dry and that home is on the coast in a KNOWN hurricane zone, its not a matter of if but WHEN its going to happen. And, since it has already happened once the PEOPLE should be prepared themselves. The government should not have to "prepare" people for something the KNOW is going to happen. When these people moved back after Katrina they knew what they were getting in. There should not be one tax dollar spent on doing this again. When do you learn? When do you take PERSONAL responsiblity? Did anyone see the flooding in Ohio on TV? Where were all the movie stars coming to their benefit? Where were all the free FEMA trailers for these people? I guess since there was no looting and neighbors killing each other over Nike's and TV's it wasnt worth putting on the news. The truth is, these people helped themselves. New Orleans should learn from Ohio. All NO knows it take, take, take. Sit back and watch. Millions of dollars will be put back into that bowl for all those sad people affected by catastrophe. They should have learned the first time. Period.
Posted by JDR (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 10:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hope = hop spelling ftw.
Posted by JDR (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 10:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hey hutto hope on your bike and pedal to deer park,la and tell those people how you feel. your tax dollars are spent there rebuilding their "homes" yearly and has been for the last 20 yrs. or so.
new orleans is home to the largest port in the united states...its called being vital...however deer park is home to what...exactly. i said deer park but it applies to anyone living on old river or and of the yearly flooded areas in la. and ms. go preach to them.
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 12:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
For some screwie reason, I don't find a problem with VCCC being a designated "Red Cross facility" to house emergency workers...after all, they have to stay someplace! And Vidalia is not the one to blame because the contractor hasn't signed off on the deal yet (any of you EVER had to deal with the State Fire Marshall....talk about picky!! That contractor has probably been having FITS dealing with them). One other thing, how the heck can Vidalia be to blame because the Health Dept. hasn't given their okay yet? Ease up on the VCCC, the churches will still take evacuees...they just aren't govt. substized (sp?)
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 12:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey, EnK: Hope you are on land, or at least have all the ports and hatches secured. If you are out, be safe.
Posted by Bobaloo (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 1:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i got it EnK..... thanks
Posted by NatchezBell (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 7:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I would like to take this oppertunity to LET ALL KNOW, New Orleans people are litterally Buying Out all the gun and ammo supplies in the city!!! Please make sure we all have ammo for our own protection from all that could possibly happen. Protect your selfs at all cost. We will be under control of our own selfs. And most important...we can make Citizens Arrest during this type thing.
Get your protection ready & do your duty for our Town.
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 7:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mine is already loaded. It stays loaded.
Posted by An_Observer (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe the reason for not opening the shelters to out-of-towners, is they are reserving them for locals.
Posted by Springtimemi6tress (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
enkikur EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOUR KIND OF PEOPLE???!!! Well I will say from your posts your kind is really NOT at all desirable and anyone who is NOT your KIND is very BLESSED. my prayers go out to the travellers may they all get to safety.
Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on August 31, 2008 at 8:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Our kind drive motorhomes in the 500.000 to 2 million dollar range Spring, and don't work in smokestack industry. It is not that we are elitist, we are just discriminating; we are not even that discrminating, anyone who meets our qualifications is more than welcome to stay.
Posted by watcher (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 9:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Was not the 12,000 s/ft addition paid for by the Fed SPECIFICALLY as an evacuation center?
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on September 1, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Enk - my motor home didn't cost that much! Can I get an ememption? Just spent 10 days in Texas with new grandson and had lots of time for discussions with son-in-law. He has done a LOT of research into Agenda 21, Federal Reserve System, etc. My education has expanded quite a bit. Are you familar with the movie Freedom to Facism? Quite a startling reveal.
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