GRETNA, La. — This hurricane season in Jefferson Parish they are preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.
“It only takes one to make it a bad hurricane season,” Scott Walker, Jefferson Parish Councilman At-Large said.
With this hurricane season being forecasted as above average for hurricane activity, JP leaders aren’t letting their guards down.
“From Grand Isle to Gretna to everywhere in between—we are ready,” Walker said.
Leaders say they’ve tested all the drainage and pumping equipment and everything’s in working order and storm ready. The Emergency staff is prepping as well.
“We actually give out scenarios where they have to work out solutions to being able to respond to emegencies during a hurricane,” Joe Valiente, Emergency Management Director with Jefferson Parish said.
Every hurricane brings high risk and threats of flooding, wind damage, storm surge and of course one of the biggest concerns is power outages.
“I want to thank Entergy for being very upfront and very transparent when we can expect electricity to resume,” Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said.
Patrick Hamby with Entergy Louisiana said for 90 percent power restoration, it’ll take 7 days for a Category 1 storm; 10 days for a Category 2 storm; 14 days for a Category 3 storm; and 21 days for a Category 4 storm. If there was a catastrophic Category 5 storm then it would take well over 21 days for power to be restored.
From power outages to evacuations being prepared for whatever could come our way is what these leaders want residents to be vigilant about.
“This is the community that we live in, we raise our families here. We want to encourage everyone to be safe. Make your plans now,” Cynthia Lee Sheng said.
