Calcasieu OEP Info 10-6

Calcasieu OEP Fact Sheet 10-6
Updated 9:00am


· Calcasieu Parish officials along with the mayors of the six municipalities in the parish have announced that “Calcasieu Comeback,” a permanent re-entry plan for residents evacuated for Hurricane Rita, will begin at 6am Friday October 7, 2005. The re-entry plan is for the entire parish except for the town of Vinton, which will remain on a “look and leave” status. The Calcasieu Comeback plan is specifically designed to include residents who have electricity, potable water and operating sewer and who can be self-sufficient.

The officials and mayors evaluated the status of the infrastructure in the parish and concluded jointly that the basic necessities had improved significantly in the past few days and would continue to improve before Friday. Vinton remains substantially without electrical power and is not ready to participate in the permanent re-entry plan. An announcement on the status of Vinton will be made when the infrastructure improves.

· Parish and municipal officials have announced that the curfew in effect throughout the parish will be changed to allow vehicular traffic after dark in areas where power is restored. Pedestrian traffic will still not be allowed from dusk to dawn. The dusk-to-dawn curfew for both vehicles and pedestrians will remain in effect in Vinton, Starks and Iowa until power is substantially restored. The change has been made to allow businesses the ability to remain open into the evening hours and to allow residents access to those businesses.

· Tests have revealed that water on the City of Lake Charles system is safe to drink. Lake Charles residents are still asked to conserve water.

All public water systems in the parish are safe to drink except Water District #8 of Wards Three and Eight. It is still listed on the state DHH list of districts requiring boiling of water as of 5pm Wednesday. Many private water systems are also on boil orders. Residents on private systems should contact those systems for information.

Calcasieu Water Districts #1 and #5 are no longer listed on the boil order list.

· 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.
A preliminary agenda for this meeting will be added to this page as soon as it is finalized.


· In anticipation of the vast majority of Calcasieu Parish residents having electricity service by this weekend, all Police Jury employees should return to their work locations on Monday, October 10th for normal operating hours. Any exceptions to this date due to hardship must be approved by the employee's department head. Please contact your department head directly as necessary.

· 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.

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

· 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. High winds anticipated with a cool front approaching may curtail operations temporarily.

· 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 439-8879. This number was given incorrectly previously

· Regular daily garbage pickup resumes Today in Lake Charles

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

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


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.)

· 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 (10/6):
Sulphur Kroger
Oakley Apts. On Hwy 90
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
Johnson Bayou Roving
Holly Beach Roving
Welsh Southern BBQ

· 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 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.

· 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.