New Orleans :: Mayor C. Ray Nagin

Situation Report

Mayor Nagin Suspends Re-Entry, Orders Evacuation

Mayor C. Ray Nagin suspended re-entry and ordered an evacuation of New Orleans as Tropical Storm Rita moved toward the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to become a hurricane.

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City Of New Orleans
Mayors Office of Communications
1300 Perdido Street, Suite 2E04
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
504-658-4940 	
C. Ray Nagin
MAYOR 	
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2005

Mayor Nagin Suspends Re-Entry Orders Evacuation. Rita Poses Potential Threat to New Orleans.

(New Orleans, LA) Mayor C. Ray Nagin suspended re-entry and ordered an evacuation of New Orleans as Tropical Storm Rita moved toward the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to become a hurricane.

“Re-entry was going very smoothly this weekend. We made a decision, working with federal authorities, based on our ability to bring people safely back and our ability to care for them,” Mayor Nagin said. “However, with Tropical Storm Rita, we have to adjust our plans and err on the side of caution.”

Mayor Nagin called for a mandatory evacuation of the East Bank of the city and a voluntary evacuation of the West Bank. Officials will continue to monitor the storm and issue updates as they become necessary.

The City of New Orleans requested 200 buses and has 150 available. Beginning forty-eight hours prior to the storm’s landfall, citizens will be loaded onto buses at the Convention Center downtown and Behrman Stadium in Algiers.

Though much progress has been made in draining the city of floodwaters, more than 9 inches of rain or a 3 foot storm surge could overwhelm levees.

Rita could make landfall by Thursday, September 22, 2005.

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September 21, 2005

City Of New Orleans Mayors Office of Communications 1300 Perdido Street, Suite 2E04 New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 504-658-4940
C. Ray Nagin MAYOR	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 21, 2005
Situation Report for New Orleans (New Orleans, LA) The City of New Orleans will release regular updates, or Situation Reports, detailing the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city and the progress of rebuilding efforts. Reports will be posted on the City’s website, www.cityofno.com. As of Tuesday, September 21, 2005: Re-entry The return of business owners to New Orleans was smooth and successful. Due to Hurricane Rita, re-entry has been suspended until further notice. Citizens are advised to evacuate the city if possible. The mandatory evacuation order remains in effect for New Orleans. City officials will continue to monitor the storm and deliver updates. Businesses Contractors will be credentialed at 601 Loyola Ave. from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. when re-entry resumes. There are a number of restaurants open in the city. Those establishments with bright pink posters in the windows have been deemed safe by health and safety inspectors. Business owners in Algiers, the French Quarter, the Central Business District and Uptown are allowed to re-enter New Orleans. For defective equipment concerning electronic food stamp POS device (EBT), business owners should call (800) 230-0179.<.LI> Schools Since schools will be out of service for the foreseeable future, parents are urged to enroll their children in schools outside Orleans Parish. Housing The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced applications for “Operation Blue Roof” will be accepted in the Rights of Entry Collection Centers (ROEC) listed below. Operation Blue Roof is a FEMA-assigned mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that provides temporary repairs to both residential and public building roofs damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Corps contractors will install the temporary roof covering at no cost to residents. To get the help, owners must sign a “Right of Entry” form that allows Corps staff to assess the roof damage, and for Corps contractors to do the work. Tarps are available at daily from 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Orleans Mardi Gras World, 233 Newton St. L.B. Landry High School, 1200 L.B. Landry Ave. City employees City of New Orleans employees received a direct deposit payment as usual on September 2 and 16, 2005. Payroll cards will be sent to employees who normally receive a paper check; however, employees must call (866) 795-2427 to register for the cards. In addition, City of New Orleans employees are being asked to register with a tracking service by calling (877) 751-2415. Sewerage and Water Board employees are asked to call (877) 863-9405. Callers will be asked about personal identification information, job title and duties, current contact information, names of spouse and children, whether the children are now enrolled in school outside of the city, the status of their homes in New Orleans, long-term plans for returning to the area, and credit union membership. Mass care/housing/human services The Convention Center continues to house a triage center for remaining victims and evacuees. Non-evacuated civilians remain in numerous areas at this time. Two cruise ships are now docked at the Mississippi River, with an occupancy of about 2,000 City workers and officials. Public health and medical systems Two clinics are open in Algiers – Arthur Monday Recreation Center and Algiers Medical Complex – with a total of 282 seen the first day. Determination of damage and prioritization of repairs to hospitals is ongoing. Touro will be opened for emergency care beginning Wednesday, September 21, 2005. Memorial Baptist, Lindy Boggs and Methodist Hospitals sustained extensive water damage. Triage is being conducted at the Convention Center and Kindred DMAT. Once patients are stabilized they are moved to fully operational hospitals elsewhere. Respectful and dignified removal and disposition of the deceased continues to be a priority. Primary search and recovery has been completed in all areas of the city. Secondary searches are now being conducted. One man was recovered alive on Friday, September 16, 2005. Algiers has been cleared from a boil water notice. For the entire East Bank, water quality is not acceptable for drinking, bathing or washing hands. For additional information, visit www.dhhemergencynews.com. A safety officer position has been assigned to public health. Dark water in the area contains 10 times the acceptable amount of E. coli bacteria. Long term recovery and mitigation Delta and Northwest Airlines report that they have had five daily flights into and out of New Orleans as of Sunday, September 18, 2005. Other airlines are working to resume operations. The U.S. Postal Service plans to provide limited service to residents of zip codes 70114, 70131, and 70174 on Thursday, September 22, 2005. Residents need to report to the Algiers Post Office and present ID and they will receive any mail available for their household. Assessments are being made to determine adequate locations for re-establishing postal service to the New Orleans Area. City of New Orleans government officials are planning the long term rebuilding of the governmental structure to provide continuity of operations. Planning is underway for restoration of critical infrastructure including water/sewer, electrical and communications. Vital facilities are being assessed for the extent of damage and efforts required for restoration. The emphasis of the operation is beginning to shift to recovery. Domestic animals Official rescue groups brought 364 animals to the facility in Gonzales over the past 24 hours. The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and volunteer rescue teams are rescuing animals in the 9th ward and Gentilly areas. Due to capacity concerns, 400 animals a day can be moved to a facility in Gonzales. Animals that cannot be evacuated are being fed and watered by several teams. Over 5,000 companion animals have been rescued from the disaster area, though there are still many homes to search. To list a pet for rescue, citizens can email Katrina@ldaf.louisiana.gov or go to www.petfinder.com. To find a rescued animal, people can visit www.petfinder.com. Animals not claimed by October 15, 2005, will be available for adoption in the city where they are located. There are several makeshift animal shelters in the city by non-SPCA volunteers. The areas are being inspected by Public Health veterinarians to ensure that animals are decontaminated prior to being moved out of the city. Transportation The Regional Transit Authority and the Capital Area Transit System have developed an operational plan to meet the transportation demands of people displaced due to Hurricane Katrina, including an expansion of services in and around Baton Rouge and a Park-n-Ride regional service. The RTA is considering establishing a free fare passenger policy for the time being. Due to the evacuation of the city, there is no public transportation running. Debris Management In Algiers, regular household garbage collection is underway. OMNI is hauling debris from the West Bank to a disposal site. Debris has been pushed to the side on all West Bank Streets. Streets are passable. On the East Bank: Work continues in Central City (Push of Roadway), Work is progressing on major streets (Carrollton Avenue, Louisiana Avenue, Jefferson Avenue and Napoleon Avenue). Work is in progress for Uptown & Carrollton Area (Push of Roadway). Street sweeping in French Quarter and downtown is underway. OMNI continues hauling debris from the East Bank. Hauling waste from the following areas: Carrollton/Lower Carrollton Area Uptown Area City Hall/ Superdome/ Portion of CDB New Orleans East (Michoud area, near Joe Brown Park, Dwyer Road near I-10, and Mayo Road to west) Residents should place garbage and storm debris curbside. Contractors will collect waste and bring it to staging areas for sorting and disposal at landfill. Canal Street, the French Quarter and the Convention Center have been cleaned. Omni crews are working to clean the second floor of the Superdome. Debris management is being handled by the Army Corps of Engineers and the New Orleans Department of Sanitation as removal continues. Emergency Management Command staff developed a contingency plan in case significant rainfall causes a levee breach. The military and all public safety agencies in the city of New Orleans formed a consolidated communication link to coordinate safe, organized re-entry to the city. Officials are in the process of establishing and carrying out a plan for a unified 911 Communications Center. The Emergency Operations Center is fully activated and operational under the Incident Command System. The EOC is working under written Incident Action Plans to coordinate tactical operations in the field. Ongoing work: Coordinating resource requests and allocations. Prioritizing missions to optimize resource usage. Established logistical support for EOC/City Hall staff. Completed digital aerial photography to complete rescue mission tasking. Preparing to transfer operations to larger facility in order to ramp up operations with agency representatives. Logistics The Seventh Street Warehouse is now available to receive and distribute supplies to the city. Infrastructure Electric Power is restored to 19 percent of all New Orleans customers. Several areas, including all of Algiers, are back up and operating – including Civil District Court, City Hall, Tulane Medical Center, Touro, Children’s, Baptist, New Orleans Adolescent and other hospitals, Folgers’ Gentilly facility, NASA, pumping stations 1, 6 and 7, the Crescent City Connection, the Port of New Orleans, office buildings in the CBD, the Bell South building, much of the Convention Center, various hotels and much more. The City is working on priority lists to restore power where it’s needed most. Many pumps are online and operating. Work continues on pumping down vaults, inspecting infrastructure, patrolling and assessing overhead and feeder lines and energizing areas where it is safe. The CBD grid is energized. Water and Wastewater Officials are concentrating on trying to maintain firefighting water supply. Some water mains are breaking as pressure is increased, creating delays in restoration of services. Priorities established for the Sewerage and Water Board: Drainage of storm water. Restoration of water service to the Central Business District. Sewer infrastructure is still intact in CBD. Restoration of water service to the Garden District. Repair/restoration of the East Bank Waste Water Treatment Plant. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the water purification plant is operating and chlorinating the water. The water, however, is not considered potable yet. A major problem preventing normal water pressure is the numerous leaks in the distribution lines supplying the lower 9th Ward. The shut off valves on these lines are not accessible until the water is drained from the area. Gas About 84 percent of New Orleans has been assessed, with 36 percent of service has been restored. All of Algiers has been assessed and restored. Work continues to assess and restore service in other parts of the city where it is safe. French Qtr: 100 percent assessed Mid City: 80 percent assessed 10 percent restored 15 percent restored CBD: 100 percent assessed Gentilly: 60 percent assessed 70 percent restored 40 percent restored Central City: 100 percent assessed Lake Shore: 100 percent assessed 50 percent restored 100 percent restored Uptown: 100 percent assessed Lake Vista: 100 percent assessed 50 percent restored 40 percent restored Downtown: 80 percent assessed Lakeview: 50 percent assessed 15 percent restored 50 percent restored Broadmoor: 100 percent assessed N.O. East: 100 percent assessed 20 percent restored 0 percent restored Carrolton: 85 percent assessed 9th Ward: 100 percent assessed 3 percent restored 0 percent restored Work In Progress Workers are turning off all services in Downtown, Uptown, Carrollton, and French Quarter areas that were interrupted by water. Follow up detailed leak surveys assessments continue in Algiers and Uptown (Algiers is fully restored). The Algiers leak survey is 97 percent complete, and the Uptown area survey is approximately 15 percent complete. Assessments and repairs continue as water continues to recede. All areas of the CBD having high pressure and low pressure gas service are fully restored. A detailed assessment using flame ionization equipment will be used in the CBD. The Uptown area south of St. Charles Avenue to the river and from the Crescent City Connection to Leake Avenue is approximately 90 percent restored. CBD high pressure service is fully restored. Approximately 90 percent of services in the CBD are restored, and assessment continues on the CBD low pressure system. Boats are being used to perform leak surveys in flooded areas. Divers repaired 17 leaks in the Gentilly area. Communications Cox New Orleans customers will not be billed for services in the month of September. Cox Communications will announce procedures for October and beyond. Updates are available at www.cox.com. Commercial cell phone carriers have periodic disruption of services throughout the city. Orleans Levee District The levee breaches at the 17th Street Canal and London Avenue are currently under control. The Corps of Engineers is maintaining an elevation of 10.0 at these locations. A thorough levee inspection has not been completed due to flooding and other hazardous conditions. Oil/Hazmat Response 14 new spills reported (300 to date, six still considered significant) 10 vessels waiting to enter river Offshore facilities: 52 platforms lost, 58 damaged, 3 MODUs (Mobile offshore drilling rigs) sank, 16 damaged. 39 of 179 bulk liquid facilities in the area are functional, nine are non-functional, and the rest are undetermined as of now. Emergency Services Emergency Medical Services New Orleans EMS is currently running 24-hour operations with 25 ambulances per day. NOEMS is using FEMA-contracted ambulances to provide coverage. NOEMS medics are assisting out of town medics with call locations, care protocols and communication with hospitals. There were 28 emergency calls within the past 24 hours. Law Enforcement and Public Safety. The 911 system is running at limited capacity. Emergency calls will be answered. Law enforcement officers are preparing for the return of large numbers of citizens to New Orleans. The United States Secret Service completed the credentialing process in the City of New Orleans on September 12, 2005. The credentialing was intended to identify New Orleans police officers, officers and deputies from the State of Louisiana, federal officers and officers and deputies from out of state jurisdictions that are operating in the City of New Orleans with firearms. In addition, fire executive staff also received credentials. New Orleans Police Department: 1,352 credentials issued All others: 1,444 credentials issued Credentialing moved to Baton Rouge on Wednesday, September 14, 2005. Security is being maintained by local law enforcement augmented by state and federal law enforcement resources. Check points are established throughout the city to control traffic and restrict access to authorized personnel only. Fire Department Two fires were reported in the past 24 hours. Fire department infrastructure: 6 stations operational for daylight only. Six staging ground areas are operational. An aerial firefighting operation of helicopters has been used in the city to prevent the spread of large fires and to fly reconnaissance to spot outbreak of fire. Military Secondary search guidelines have been established for search and recovery, including only entering buildings where there is probable cause that people may have been trapped inside. Two aircraft are spraying the city for mosquitoes. Task Force All American is removing debris from storm drains to help ease flooding concerns. Task Force Orleans continues to provide security at various locations in the city. Task Force All American established a decontamination site in the French Quarter and divisions are working strategically throughout the city. Task Force Orleans is working to help Bell South determine communications operability, guard critical buildings, and protect infrastructure. The number of evacuees continues to significantly decline. Future evacuees will be processed at the Convention Center and be transported by bus. Together with local law enforcement, the military has reestablished security in Orleans Parish. Task Force Orleans is working to eliminate the backlog of 911 calls. Coast Guard Numbers are for the past 24-hour period: 15 new spills reported (346 to date, 15 still considered significant only one of which is in Orleans Parish) Eight vessels are waiting to enter the river at Southwest Pass with 44 en route, with all draft restrictions removed. Offshore facilities: 52 platforms lost, 58 damaged / 3 MODUs (Mobile offshore drilling rig) sank, 16 damaged Ninety-four of 198 bulk liquid facilities in the area are now functional, 89 non functional, and the status of the remainder is unknown. Six local wharves are damaged: Louisa, Congress, Desire, Piety, Press and Mandeville. All pollution incidents need to be reported to 1-800-424-8802.