Calcasieu OEP Info 10-3-05

Calcasieu OEP Fact Sheet 10-3
Updated 5:00pm

· Calcasieu Visit, the first phase of the parish re-entry plan continues today. It is a “Look and Leave” period for residents to assess their property and gather needed belongings and return to temporary residences. (Refer to fact sheet issued Thursday).

· 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 order, signed by Calcasieu Parish Police Jury President Hal McMillin, acknowledges the need for businesses from out of the area to perform necessary work such as tree and debris removal, roof repairs and other emergency-related services. It requires businesses to provide documentation including certificates of liability insurance and worker’s compensation coverage.

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 temporary permits allow businesses to operate throughout the period of the State of Emergency, which ends October 24th.

Also necessary for issuance of the permits are the company name, address, business telephone number and a copy of the driver’s license of the applicant.

The order is effective immediately. It covers all municipalities within Calcasieu Parish as well as the unincorporated areas.


· Evacuation buses are now running once daily at 5pm from the Northeast corner of the Lake Charles Civic Center.

· Mobile Kitchens from charitable or church groups need to coordinate their locations with Emergency Officials. They should contact 721-3800.


· 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.

· Calcasieu Parish Mosquito Control Director Lucas Terracina is advising residents that mosquito populations are extremely high and his office is taking extra steps to attempt to alleviate the situation. They are using low-flying military C130 aircraft, which spray from a very low altitude to spray.

· The Calcasieu Parish Animal Services feeding and watering program will continue until power is restored to the majority of the community. Units are in the field seven days a week going door-to-door to ensure that all animals are safe and nourished.

Dog and cat food will also be available at the six food locations located through the parish beginning Monday October 3.

Animal Services will only pick up those animals found as strays in need of veterinary care. For additional information, please contact Animal Services at 439-9979.

· A curfew still remains in effect from dusk till dawn parish-wide.

· The City of Lake Charles has established drop-off locations for household garbage (no storm debris or limbs) at the following locations:

MLK Center -2009 Simmons
Reynaud Middle School –745 Shattuck
TH Watkins Elementary –2501 7th Avenue
Barbe Elementary –Penn St.
LaGrange HS -3420 Louisiana Ave
FK White Middle School –1000 East McNeese
Barbe High School –2200 West McNeese

Sulphur City household garbage drop-off locations:

City Pavilion on Huntington Street
Old Winn Dixie Parking Lot on Beglis

Westlake: Managan Center

In the unincorporated areas of Calcasieu Parish, Waste Management will be placing garbage trucks at the following five locations Monday through Friday


WARD ONE: Ward One Barn at Parish Road

WARD THREE: Burton Coliseum on the south end; Waste Management Transfer Station Highway 90 East

WARD FOUR: Fishermen Headquarters in Carlyss

WARD SIX: Ward Six Fire Station #3 on State Highway 27, south of High Hope Road.


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:
1. Metal
2. Vegetative (tree limbs, leaves, etc.)
3. Large appliances like refrigerators, stoves, air conditioners, etc.
4. Construction and demolition debris (carpeting, roofing siding, etc.)



· Residents outside of parish that are currently displaced are encouraged to look to the following websites for information:
-www.kplctv.com
-www.americanpresslc.com
-www.cppj.net (information is limited at this time)


· The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Parish Government Building at 1015 Pithon Street in Lake Charles is with limited services available M-F 8am-pm. Call 721-3500 for information.

· The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has closed all waterways in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes to all vessel traffic other than approved commercial and emergency traffic.

· 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 (10/3):
Sulphur Kroger
LeBlanc Middle School
Pin Oak Trailer Park
Iowa: Lawrence Toups Park
Singer: Singer Baptist Church
Starks: Starks Silver Dollar 109 River Rd.
Vinton: Vinton Elementary
Hackberry: Hackberry Community Center
Moss Bluff: Wal-Mart
Westlake: Community Center
Lake Charles: Family Dollar on 171
Martin Luther King Center
Wilshire Plaza on 5th Ave.
LeBleu Chevron @ Hwy. 3059
Cameron Recreation Center

· Primary Supply Distribution Sites:
Lake Charles
-Civic Center

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

Moss Bluff
-Old Wal Mart

Secondary sites

DeQuincy
-Phelps Correctional Center

Vinton
-Vinton elementary
Iowa
-Iowa High School

Residents will be given MREs, water, and ice. We are working this with both military and FEMA sources. MREs are in short supply.

· Calcasieu Homeland Security/ Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Dick Gremillion is asking residents who are able to acquire food, water and ice on their own to avoid the supply distribution sites. The traffic has the potential to overwhelm the sites.

· City officials are asking residents of Lake Charles to conserve their water usage. Water and sewer facilities are limited at this time. As previously mentioned, all water should be boiled and treated before consumption.

· Houston River Waterworks District 11 water tests have revealed the water is safe to drink.

· A parish-wide burning ban is in effect. This ban includes all municipalities as well as unincorporated areas.

· 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.


Tom Hoefer
Calcasieu Parish