Terrebonne Parish Unified Command Structure Press Briefing

Friday, September 19, 2008 10:30 a.m. – The Office of Emergency Preparedness (O.E.P.) is located at 500 Honduras Street contact number remains the same 985-873-6357.

Post Hurricane Ike Mosquito Abatement

On Friday, September 19, the United States Air force will use C-130 planes to spray for mosquitoes in Terrebonne Parish. This additional spraying is part of a limited application program that is only available to those parishes affected by Hurricane Ike’s storm surge and is at the request of Terrebonne Parish to protect residents from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.

All spraying will follow EPA guidelines and is being managed by state health officials.

While the spray is nontoxic to humans, plants and animals, it is recommended to those individuals with respiratory difficulty to remain indoors during the spraying.

The spraying will occur during the last 2 hours of daylight.

Residents can expect to see the large C-130 military aircraft flying at or above an altitude of 150 feet during the actual spraying application.

Water Revised Boil Water Advisory

The boil water advisory has been modified to include only two areas and continues for customers who live along or adjacent to:

Island Road – Isle de Jean Charles Community in Pointe-aux-Chenes;

From 6687 Hwy. 56 (Robinson Canal Elevated Water Storage Tank) to the end.

The boil water advisory in these areas may be lifted after laboratory analyses are concluded.

Hospitals

Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center resumed normal operations effective 2PM on Thursday, September 18, 2008. The following services are available: The Emergency Room will be open with Surgical Divert status – no cases requiring surgery should be transported for care. Internal Medicine Units and Intensive Care beds will be open for inpatients.

Due to the opening of Chabert, the DMAT is terminating operations.

Terrebonne General is fully operational.

Debris Removal

Debris removal is ongoing with approximately 52 trucks operating in Terrebonne Parish each with a 40 yard capacity. Yesterday approximately 8990 yards of debris were picked up throughout the parish. In addition to the Ashland, Schriever and Crochetville residential drop off sites, the Parish has added the Airbase Park, Valhi Lagoon Blvd. Park and Gibson Fire Stations as residential drop sites. At the Ashland landfill site, commercial scales are in operation and the site is now accepting commercial waste.

For information on the progress of debris removal, daily debris reports will be posted online at www.tpcg.org.

Electricity

Electric service is generally available in all areas of the parish with the exception of approximately 1000 Entergy customers primarily in flood impacted areas.

Shelters

Approximately 190 residents are currently sheltered in Terrebonne Parish. The Gibson Gym site has closed. The remaining shelter sites are Schriever Recreation Center, Dumas Auditorium, and The First United Pentecostal Church for special needs individuals. The remaining evacuees are primarily those individuals whose homes were severely damaged by the storms and will need to seek more long term housing. Officials are working with FEMA to locate transitional housing.

Housing Authority Director Wayne Thibodaux is requesting that tenants in Senator Circle return to their units to begin cleanup and units which received water below the electrical outlets power was turned on yesterday afternoon. Residents of Bayou Towers are being allowed in on a daily basis between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to visit their units and pick up any needed items.

Distribution Sites

Distribution sites for water, ice, tarps and cleanup kits as they are available are at the following locations:

Catholic Church in Dulac;

Ward 7- Little Caillou Fire Department;

American Legion Hall in Montegut;

Gibson East Fire Station;

Upper Dularge Fire Station.

The Shell Corporation is now providing clean up kits at the Knights of Columbus in Pointe-aux-Chenes.

Infrastructure

The sandbag air lifting project to Ward 7 at the Clinton Street pump station concluded yesterday. The dewatering plan is ongoing with the parish operating at 100% of its portable pumping capacity and 72 of the 73 permanent pump stations back online. The permanent pump station at Clinton Street has been replaced with a large number of portable pumps in Ward 7.

In anticipation of today’s rainfall, parish officials again request your assistance in removing debris from storm drains and ditches and catch basins.

Food Stamps

Emergency Food Stamp locations are currently at Kirshman’s and the Bayou Black Recreation Center during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. through September 28, 2008. For information on the program please call 1-888-LAHELPU (1-888-524-3578) and press option 3 for more information or visit their website at www.dss.louisiana.gov

FEMA

FEMA has opened a Disaster Recovery Center at Town Hall on Barrow Street from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. today where impacted residents can register for assistance. SBA, Red Cross information, and representatives from the Blue Roof Program will be available on site as well.

Economic Development

The LSU mobile classroom is an SBA site where businesses can talk with a representative to determine eligibility and file a loan application online. It is parked at the Houma-Terrebonne chamber of Commerce on Hwy. 311.

Contractor Fraud

District Attorney Joe Waitz’s office is distributing leaflets throughout the parish with information regarding contractor fraud which includes contact numbers for the Attorney General’s Office, District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office.

Also, at this time Assistant District Attorneys are visiting work sites to spot check contractors for valid occupational licenses.

Press Briefings

There will be no press briefing held on Saturday, September 20th or Sunday, September 21st.

Press briefings will resume on Monday, September 22nd at 10:30 a.m. on the 7th floor of the Government Tower Building.

Michel H. Claudet Vernon Bourgeois

Parish President Sheriff, Parish of Terrebonne

(985) 873-6401 (985) 876-2500

Courtney Alcock Bill Dodd

Public Information Officer Public Information Officer

(985) 223-4457 (985) 876-2427