NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Now that Hurricane season is here, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) is making sure inmates are prepared for a potential storm.
With one big component of hurricanes being evacuations, Sheriff Susan Huston and jail staff conducted a mock evacuation.
The evacuation included staffers and 20 selected inmates who practiced the process of getting everyone on buses and escorted out of the jail.
Armbands were given to the inmates to record who they are what bus they’d be on and where they’d be taken. The buses were taken to a secure location before returning to the jail house.
“After this exercise, we are even more confident that in the unfortunate event of another storm like Ida, which was only a couple years ago, we are prepared to ensure swift and organized timely action that is centered around all OPSO staff and our residents,” says Hutson.
The sheriff also showed diesel and gas-powered generators that would be activated if power is lost, and inmates are sheltering in place.
Hurricane season runs until November 30th.
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