NEW ORLEANS — Mayor Mitch Landrieu is asking people in New Orleans to be on alert this weekend and early next week.
He says that he doesn’t anticipate an evacuation, but that could change depending on where Harvey goes.
As of Friday afternoon, Harvey is a Category 3 hurricane heading for Texas, but it could cause heavy rainfall in Louisiana next week.
The city is working with FEMA, the Louisiana Air National Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and more, planning for possibles risks if Harvey escalates in our area. He’s also asking residents to do their part.
The city is offering sand bags at five locations starting 24/7 until further notice:
- 987 Robert E. Lee Blvd.
- 2000 MLK Blvd.
- 4115 Woodland in Algiers
- 2118 Elysian Fields
- 5403 Read Boulevard
The mayor is also asking residents to clean the front of their catch basins, removing debris, grass and leaves. Don’t park your car in front of a catch basin.
Since the Aug. 5 flood that exposed critical problems with the city’s drainage system, crews with the Department of Public Works have been working overtime, using vacuum trucks to clean and unclog more than 900 catch basins. The city says workers have flushed more than 98,000 feet of drainage lines.
The city is also contracting out $21 million worth of additional work for cleaning and repairs to the drainage system.
Officials encourage residents who have friends and family who need special assistance to sign up for the city’s Special Needs Registry. The registry does not guarantee assistance, but allows first responders to appropriately plan for, prepare for and respond to community needs.
The Special Needs Registry includes all individuals, regardless of age, with a chronic condition, disability, special healthcare need, or who may require additional assistance during an emergency. These include those who:
• Use life support systems such as oxygen, respirator, ventilator, dialysis, pacemaker, or are insulin dependent;
• Have mobility disabilities and use a wheelchair, scooter, walker, cane, or other mobility device;
• Are visually impaired, blind, hard of hearing, or deaf;
• Have speech, cognitive, developmental or mental health disabilities; and,
• Use assistive animals or a prosthesis.
You can do that online at or by calling 3-1-1. You can also get general info and report non-life threatening emergencies by calling 3-1-1. They’re open Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will be open 7 am to 7 pm starting Saturday, until further notice.
Check for updates on Twitter @NOLAReady , and on Facebook @NOLAReady. You can also sign up here for NOLA Ready alerts, which will notify residents of emergency situations.
Watch the Friday afternoon update below: