* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:02]
          WE'RE IN THE THIRD DAY NOW OF WORK IN HURRICANE FRANCINE. 
          AND AS EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IT STARTED OUT AS A TROPICAL STORM AND NOW IT'S CERTAINLY UP TO A CAT ONE STORM. 
          IT IS APPROACHING THE COASTLINE AND IT'S BEGINNING TO GET SOME SERIOUS THREATS NOW IN IMPACTS TO JEFFERSON PARISH. 
          SO WE, WE HAVE HAD SOME TORNADO WARNINGS AND SOME WATCHES THAT HAVE OCCURRED. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY. 
          WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY LAND YET. 
          UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OCCURRED THIS MORNING THAT THE, UH, FLOOD PROTECTION WEST, UH, WHICH IS THE FLOOD COMPLEX, UH, THEY ACTUALLY CLOSE THOSE GATES THIS MORNING. 
          THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP ANY STORM SURGE FROM WORKING ITS WAY UP NORTHWOOD INTO THE HARVEY CANAL AND THE ALGIERS CANAL, WHICH KEEPS IT FROM OVERCOMING THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS, WHICH ARE PRONE TO FLOODING. 
          AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH, IT IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW WATER, RAIN WATER THAT, THAT ACCUMULATES INSIDE THE LE PROTECTION, UH, SYSTEM TO DRAIN OUT. 
          SO IT'S A DUAL PURPOSE. 
          IT STOPS THE STORM SURGE FROM GOING IN, AND THEN IT ALLOWS THE RAINWATER THAT ACCUMULATES WITHIN THE LE PROTECTION SYSTEM IN JEFFERSON PARISH OUT. 
          SO THEY CLOSE THAT AT 10:00 AM THIS MORNING BECAUSE IT MET ALL THE CRITERIA THAT WAS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. 
          UH, WE ALSO HAVE SOME SHELTERS THAT ARE OPEN, UH, ONE SHELTER AT TARRYTOWN, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TOWARD TWO GROUPS, HOMELESS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LIVING IN TRAILERS OR MOBILE HOMES. 
          AND WE HAVE ABOUT 27 PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE. 
          UH, I THINK WE HAVE ONE DOG. 
          AND SO, UH, WE EXPECT THAT TO INCREASE AS THE EYEWALL GETS CLOSER TO JEFFERSON PARISH. 
          WE EXPECT THE RANGE TO INTENSIFY AND THE WINDS TO INCREASE. 
          WE'VE SUFFERED SOME OUTAGES TODAY. 
          WE HAD 6,000 OUTAGES THIS MORNING, UH, THAT WAS DUE TO HIGH WINDS AND RAIN AND ENERGY RESPONDED QUICKLY BECAUSE THE WINDS HADN'T GOTTEN UP TO OVER 35 MILES AN HOUR, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, RESTORE THE POWER. 
          WITHIN AN HOUR AND A HALF THIS AFTERNOON, WE SUFFERED POWER OUTAGES TO A TREE THAT FELL. 
          UH, IT WAS LITERALLY UPROOTED BECAUSE THE GROUND WAS SO SOFT FROM BEING SATURATED WITH WATER THAT WE'VE RECEIVED OVER THE LAST, UH, WEEK AND A HALF, TWO WEEKS. 
          AND SO WE WERE EXPECTING THAT. 
          WE WERE EXPECTING ACTUALLY TO SEE A LOT MORE OF THAT, AND WE COULD SEE IT ONCE THE HIGHEST WINDS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE EYEWALL COME VERY CLOSE TO JEFFERSON PARISH IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. 
          UM, ENERGY IS STILL WORKING THAT OUTAGE. 
          AND SO WE HAVE ABOUT 1700 PEOPLE IN THE WMAN AREA THAT ARE OUT OF POWER. 
          AS WE LOOK AT THE REMAINING THREATS THAT ARE STILL IN PLACE, THE STREETS ARE EXTREMELY WET. 
          THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF PONDING THAT'S OCCURRED. 
          UH, WE STILL DON'T RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE GO OUT ON THE STREETS AND GO SIGHTSEEING. 
          THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO SEE. 
          AND SO IT'S, WE STILL HAVE THREATS OF TRAUMATIC ACTIVITY WITHIN THE AREA, AT LEAST FOR THE SIX TO EIGHT HOURS. 
          SO WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE STAY SHELTERED IN PLACE AND DO NOT LEAVE UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING. 
          I.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.