NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is monitoring Tropical Storm Delta, which is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 Hurricane and make landfall as a Category 2 along the northern Gulf of Mexico late this week.
There is growing confidence in the forecast track, which includes the New Orleans Metro area.
Sustained tropical storm force winds (more than 35 mph), storm surge outside of the levee system, and heavy rain are possible with this system.
In preparation, residents are encouraged to prepare their properties and gather emergency supplies, including food, water, and medications, for at least three days.
Those who might need extra help during a storm due to age, ability, or medical needs should sign up for the City’s Special Needs Registry. To register, call 3-1-1 or go to specialneeds.nola.gov.
The City will also provide text updates to residents. To sign up, text DELTA to 888777 (subscribers who received texts for Beta, Sally, Laura, Marco, or Cristobal will automatically be subscribed).
Public Safety Preparations
The City’s Emergency Operations Center, which has been continuously activated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now transition into a tropical storm response with liaisons from public safety, infrastructure, transportation, and human service agencies, as well as State and Federal partners.
The New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) is communicating with healthcare partners to ensure they are informed and prepared for tropical weather. NOHD remains on standby for sheltering operations should the need arise.
The New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Fire Department, and Emergency Medical Services have emergency personnel ready to respond as necessary. High water vehicles, boats, and barricades are being strategically deployed in areas prone to flooding. The Orleans Parish Communication District is prepared to meet the emergency communications needs of New Orleans residents during this tropical weather event.
Service Impacts
City Hall, NORD, and the New Orleans Public Library are monitoring the storm and will announce any impacts to services as warranted.
NOLA Public Schools continues to monitor Tropical Storm Delta, and schools are taking actions to prepare their organizations and facilities for potential impacts.
Infrastructure Preparations
The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans has all 99 drainage pumps available for service. One constant duty pump, located at Drainage Pump Station 7 near City Park, is out of service. But these are smaller units used to regulate groundwater in canals and are not large enough to be critical during a flood fight. Turbines 1, 4 and 6 are available for service, as well as all five Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) generators and all five frequency changers. Turbine 3 is out of service pending a repair. Additionally, a new feeder from Turbine 6 to the Carrollton Frequency Changer Facility is now in place and operational, giving the system added power reliability.
As they do year-round, Department of Public Works crews are working to clean catch basins, and asphalt crews are transitioning from asphalt-related work to clearing debris from in front of catch basins. Inspectors and construction managers will review roadwork construction sites to ensure stockpiles are moved from next to catch basins and all loose materials tied down or removed from the job site.
The Department of Parks and Parkways is closely monitoring the potential for tropical weather and has crews are ready to respond to downed trees and branches if necessary. Residents are reminded to call 311 if you have a downed tree or large branches and to call Entergy New Orleans for downed power lines involving trees.
Entergy’s storm team is prepared to restore power and gas services safely and quickly to customers should outages occur. In addition, the company will move equipment from low-lying areas that could see high water to higher ground and ensure flood protections are in place. High-water vehicles and drones are being secured should they be needed during any restoration efforts. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, crews will continue to practice social distancing while in the field, and Entergy asks that customers do the same. For the safety of crews and customers, please stay away from work zones. If there is a need to report a service problem, customers should call 1-800-ENTERGY.
Transportation
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority continues to monitor Tropical Storm Delta. The agency will maintain service across all modes as long as weather conditions allow to do safely. For the latest information on storm impacts, visit www.RTAforward.org, call the Rideline at (504) 248-3900 or follow @NewOrleansRTA on social media.