Here’s the latest information on power, curfew, water, and more for St. James Parish after Hurricane Ida moved through the area. Save this link and check back for updates if you live in St. James Parish.
► For an emergency, call 9-1-1 or 225-331-8187
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FEMA AID
To apply for FEMA Aid:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
- Call 1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-200-462-7585
- Download FEMA App from the Apple or Google Play stores
Number of outages as of 9 a.m.: 3,391 – 34% of customers remain without power
St. James Parish Update as of 9:00am 9/13/2021
Crews made good progress over the weekend. With the upcoming rain the next few days things may slow down just a bit, but we will continue to work around those conditions as safely as possible.
Accomplishments (Energized Sections) for St. James Parish 09/12/2021
- South Vacherie
- 3125 from Lutcher to Paulina
- V&M Motors to Grand Point Rd
- Grand Point Rd from the River to the Boat Launch
We will continue to have small repairs in the area with isolated issues but all the major feeder restoration that required heavy equipment should be done in the area. We will be ramping down by the end of the day and will work in smaller groups to continue the restoration efforts.
Plans of Action for St. James Parish 09/13/2021
- We plan to energize from Hwy 20 to the Labadieville/Reserve Office line.
- Note: As we begin to energize areas, electricity will go on and off periodically, so that the system can stabilize itself. Duration of outage depends on the severity of what needs to be corrected.
- St. James Parish has a total of 350 electrical workers in the area.
- By the end of the day, our plans are to have energized 90 % of the feeders on the Westbank of St. James Parish and 90% on the East bank. We still have some taps that may need to be cleared and we will be working to restore all customers who have made repairs to their meter pans and are ready to be restored.
Running Monday and Tuesday like normal, but workers are hampered by curfews in other parishes. Going from a 12 hour day operation to a 6 hour. Wednesdays will be a makeup for Mon and Tues. Thurs and Friday routes will be made up on Saturday if needed. Donald Hains will call councilmen individually today after 3pm.
DRC’s goal is to have the first pass of the parish complete by 9/24/2021.
Concentrating on the Vegetative waste as it is the largest volume.
The Parish Permitting Offices are currently operating from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Thursday and 7:30 - 11:30 AM Fridays from the Convent Senior Center located at 5775 LA-Hwy 44, Convent, LA 70723
Permitting office is waiving fees for electrical inspections
The Parish Utilities Offices are available in person at the Courthouse Annex in Vacherie from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Thursday and 7:30 - 11:30 AM Fridays.
Parish Utilities Offices on the East Bank are only available to drop night deposits.
Boil Water Advisories:
- West Bank Boil Water Advisory lifted
- Town of gramercy no longer under a boil water advisory.
- We expect the remainder of the East Bank to be lifted this week.
Drainage:
President Dufresne, EOC Director Eric Deroche and Operations Director Rick Webre took an aerial tour over St. James Parish.
The three assessed storm damages and inspected parish inland waterways and drainage canals. Parish operations crews are utilizing this assessment to quickly clear all waterways of obstructions.
Parish Libraries now open.
Lutcher Library: Public computers will be available for residents in need of applying for disaster assistance.
Vacherie Library: Hotspots are available but must bring on electronic device.
· Dates and Times:
- Friday, September 10 - 8am to 4pm
- Saturday, September 11 - 10am to 2pm
- Sunday. September 12 - 12pm to 4pm
Department of Human Resources:
Department of Human Resources have begun to mobilize the assessment and case management team throughout the parish. Also, we are working with several community partners to secure resources to aid in the recovery efforts of our residents. As to date, the priority items include the following:
- Door-to-door assessment of the needs of our residents (currently working in the 4th district)
- Working to secure housing for PHA residents on today (3 priority families). Meeting with potential landlords.
- Providing emergency assistance to residents experiencing hardships pre and post storm
- Partner with the LWC state office to take applications for assistance in the Lutcher area. The mobile unit will be present in the parish Friday and Saturday
- Working with AmySty, Capital area United Way, and Nucor to secure resources.
- Supporting Nucor with generator outreach. This should be completed on today
- Coordinating food distribution partnerships with local industries for next week
- ·Manning the donation site, DHR staff directed to case management and assessment as of today.
- Over 400 meals daily were delivered to registered seniors between Wednesday and Friday
- Transit operations has resumed as of Tuesday
Additional POD Locations opened today from 10am-4pm:
1. St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Convent | 10120 Hwy 44
2. Welcome Park in St. James | 7260 Park Street
3. Vacherie Elementary | 13440 LA 644
*Ice, Water MREs and Tarps available*
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church – Gramercy – 8-5 daily
St. James High School – Vacherie – 8-5 daily
· For the latest updates from the hospital visit: https://www.sjph.org/hurricane-ida-updates/
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