NEW ORLEANS — The city of New Orleans is calling for a mandatory evacuation of areas outside of the levee protection system — Lake Catherine, Venetian Isles and Irish Bayou, starting Sunday due to forecasts for storm surge associated with Tropical Storm Sally, which is currently forecast to make landfall in or near southeast Louisiana Tuesday or Wednesday.
Homeland Security Director Collin Arnold said the evacuation is mandatory because residents in those areas will have their evacuation routes cut off as flood gates close at some point Sunday or early Monday.
He said they are expecting six to nine feet of storm surge.
"Nine feet of storm surge triggers the Highway 90 and Highway 11 flood walls to be closed," he said.
In addition, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said they were lifting restrictions on parking, meaning that people can park on neutral grounds starting at 6 pm Sunday until the threat is over.
The city will also be offering sandbags at the following locations starting at 8 am Sunday until they run out.
Here are the sandbag locations:
- Arthur Monday Multi-Purpose Center Algiers — 1111 Newton St, New Orleans, LA 70114
- Dryades YMCA — 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70113
- New Orleans East Walmart/Sams parking lot — 6921 Bundy Rd, New Orleans, LA 70127
- Milne Recreation Center — 5420 Franklin Ave, New Orleans, LA 70122
Infrastructure Preparations
The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans has 97 of 99 drainage pumps available for service.
One drainage pump, located at a Drainage Pump Station on Grant Street, is out of service pending electrical repairs.
Another pump at drainage pump station 13 is under repair and is expected to come back into service shortly. One constant-duty pump 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, 3, 4 and 6 are available for service, as well as all 5 Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) generators and all 5 frequency changers.
Department of Public Works crews will be working over the weekend and into next week to clean catch basins.
Seven vacuum trucks and four dump trucks are operational. 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 for downed power lines involving trees.
The Department of Property Management has been working to remove debris around City properties and secure city buildings that flood during heavy rainstorms.
Entergy’s Louisiana companies are monitoring and planning for the potential impacts of Sally in the coming days. Crews are on alert and preparing to respond should the system impact the companies’ service territories.
Transportation
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority continues to monitor Tropical Storm Sally. 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.
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