NEW ORLEANS — City leaders are warning of more than 10 inches of rain in New Orleans this weekend brought on by Cristobal, which is expected to once again strengthen to a tropical storm and hit Louisiana Sunday.
In a joint press conference Friday morning, Mayor LaToya Cantrell told the public to expect heavy rains and street flooding from the storm. A flood watch will remain in effect for the city until Tuesday morning.
All parking restrictions are lifted as of Saturday morning, and Cantrell encouraged residents to move their vehicles to higher ground, pick up trash near catch basins and secure items on their property.
"We hope it moves fast, we do not want it to rest over the city of New Orleans for hours and hours," she said.
Addressing the state of affairs in the New Orleans, with a pandemic, civil unrest and, now, a storm system, Cantrell encouraged people to "stay focused" on safety.
"Do not get distracted. With so many things going on, we have to stay focused. The pandemic: everything still remains, meaning social distancing and no large gatherings,” Cantrell said.
While the state of Louisiana officially moved to phase two of reopening the economy Friday, Cantrell said New Orleans will not enter its own version of that phase until at least the week after next -- when the storm is in the rearview.
Cantrell said residents need to adhere to coronavirus safety guidelines and call 311 for any special needs storm assistance or to report a clogged catch basin.
She also encouraged people to text CRISTOBAL to 888-777 for official updates from the city.
City officials said the Hard Rock demolition would be on hold for at least three days while the storm passed through the area. Parts of the partially-collapsed building site were being secured ahead of the storm, which could bring sustained winds of at least 40 mph.
Since the top floors of the building collapsed in October, city engineers have been warning that the structure was unstable and might have issues holding up against a heavy storm.
Sewerage and Water Board Director Ghassan Korban also addressed the public, saying plainly: "We are prepared for Cristobal."
He said all 99 of the S&WB's available water pumps are operational, as well as three turbines. Their stations will be fully staffed, he said.
As always, Korban stressed, the residents should expect street flooding based on how quickly -- not how much -- rain falls and impacts the dilapidated drainage system.
Last month, Korban expressed concern that the S&WB system was seriously hampered without "Turbine 5," a major power source for drainage that exploded in December.
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