Calcasieu OEP Info 10-10-05

Calcasieu OEP Fact Sheet 10-10
Updated 5pm


· The local hotline for FEMA assistance and information is once again operational at 721-3850. This is a 337 area code number.

· After a request by local police officials, an executive order has been signed by Calcasieu Parish Police Jury President Hal McMillin, lifting the parish-wide curfew, effective tonight.

· Katrina evacuees temporarily housed in Calcasieu should not return to the parish, including those who held hotel rooms. If they left personal items at those hotels, they should contact the individual hotels for arrangements.

· People re-entering the parish in need of a shelter should contact the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals desk at 1-225-925-7383, 1-225-925-7371, or 1-225-925-7373.

· Illegal burning is the single largest problem being encountered by local officials. Residents are urged to refrain from igniting any fires for any reason. A parish-wide burning ban is in effect. This ban includes all municipalities as well as unincorporated areas.

· Evacuation buses are no longer running from the Civic Center.

· The Regular Meeting of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury originally scheduled for Thursday, October 6, 2005, has been rescheduled and will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 in the Police Jury Meeting Room on the first floor of the Parish Government Building, which is located at 1015 Pithon Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The purpose of this meeting is to take appropriate action on items originally scheduled for consideration at the Regular Meeting on September 22, 2005, which was cancelled due to the mandatory evacuation of the Parish for Hurricane Rita, as well as items scheduled for consideration on October 6, 2005.

· Calcasieu Parish Library Director Jeff Rippel is asking his employees with water, sewer and electricity to begin returning home. The library system hopes to open most of its branches later next week. For more information employees can call 721-3530.

· Calcasieu Parish officials have issued an executive order requiring all individuals and businesses performing services in the parish to obtain a temporary work permit. The permits will be available at the Parish Government building at 1015 Pithon St. in Lake Charles between 8am and 5pm weekdays. There is no charge.

· The American Red Cross of SWLA is seeking local volunteers to help with distribution of financial assistance to local residents affected by Hurricane Rita. Please call 478-5122 to help.

· Calcasieu Parish has announced Blue Roof program sign-up locations with tarps for temporary roof repair. Call 1-888-ROOFBLU for details. This number is for informational purposes only. You must register in person at one of the sites.

Parish Government Building Time: 9:00am-5:30pm
1015 Pithon Street
Lake Charles, LA 70601

Martin Luther King Center
2009 North Simmons and Time: 9:00am-5:30pm

Moss Bluff United Methodist Church Time: 9:00am-5:30pm
735 Sam Houston Jones Parkway
Moss Bluff, LA 70611

Vinton City Hall Time: 9:00am-4:00pm
1200 Horridge Street
Vinton, LA 70664

Fire Station No. 2 Time: 9:00am-5:30pm
3501 Maplewood Dr.
Sulphur, LA 70663

Fire Station No. 3 Time: 9:00am-5:30pm
200 Darbonne
Sulphur, LA 70663

Iowa City Hall
115 N. Thompson

Tarps for temporary repairs are available at all supply distribution sites (Civic Center, Old Wal Mart in Sulphur and Old Wal Mart in Moss Bluff. Vinton Elementary, Iowa High School and Phelps Correctional Center will be added later). These are not the same as the Blue Roof Tarps.

The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Program is also providing tarping and tree-removal services at First Baptist Church in Lake Charles at 830 Hodges and at First Baptist Church of Maplewood 4501 Maplewood Drive in Sulphur.

· Regular daily garbage pickup has resumed in Lake Charles

Sulphur garbage pickup has resumed on the normal days of the week.

Waste Management, which provides garbage collection for unincorporated area residents of Calcasieu Parish, will resume their house-to-house routes on Monday, October 10th, for household garbage only. Residents are asked to place their container at the curb no later than their normal day of collection during the week. Delays can be expected due to the storm, so everyone’s patience is appreciated during this recovery period.


The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is asking residents in parishes where hurricane removal work is in progress, as assigned by FEMA and managed by the Corps of Engineers, to separate items to facilitate efficient removal.

Debris should be placed curbside and separated into the following categories:
Metal
Vegetative (tree limbs, leaves, etc.)
Large appliances like refrigerators, stoves, air conditioners, etc.
Construction and demolition debris (carpeting, roofing siding, etc.)

· Waterways in Calcasieu Parish have been reopened to civilian and non-commercial traffic. Boaters are urged to use caution.

· Calcasieu Parish officials are not set up to accept donations of goods. Local officials say that process will begin at a later time when services are restored. Local charities should handle donations and distribution of goods on their own until further notice.

· Salvation Army’s Canteen Locations today (10/10):
Sulphur Pin Oak Trailer Park
Iowa: Lawrence Toups Park
Starks: Starks Silver Dollar 109 River Rd.
Hackberry: Hackberry Community Center
Westlake: Community Center
Lake Charles: Martin Luther King Center
Reeves High School

· Primary Supply Distribution Sites:
Lake Charles
-Civic Center

Sulphur
-Climatrol Building (old Wal Mart) Cities Service Highway.

Moss Bluff
-Old Wal Mart

Secondary sites

Vinton
-Vinton elementary
Iowa
-Iowa High School

Residents will be given water, and ice. MREs are no longer available. Residents in need of food should seek Salvation Army and Red Cross locations.

Mosquito repellent is also available at the distribution sites.

· Black Bayou pontoon bridge is open for vehicle traffic from 7am-9am, and again from 3pm –5pm. The remainder of the day the bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic to allow marine traffic only.

· Residents are encouraged to call 211 for information on relief help rather than further stressing emergency officials. Please do not call 911 unless it is an emergency.

· Residents with distressed vessels need to contact the Coast Guard before salvaging at 337-912-0074.

· Restaurants attempting to open must have clearance from the Office of Public Health. Call 475-3200.

· DHH has a website for questions related to Hurricane’s Rita and Katrina. www.dhhemergencynews.com

· Calcasieu Parish School Board has established a phone line for employees temporarily displaced for information at 1-866-490-1647.