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JEFFERSON PARISH, CYNTHIA LEE SHANG.[Snow Prep Press Briefing January 20, 2025]
WHO'S OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE TODAY TO, UM, GO OVER WHAT WE EXPECT THE NEXT THREE DAYS, UM, WITH THIS VERY, VERY COLD WEATHER AND, UM, SNOW AND POTENTIALLY ICE EVENT.
SO, I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT WITHIN THE NEXT THREE DAYS I'M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT OUR NORMAL, UH, WE'RE NOT USED TO THIS KIND OF WEATHER.
WE DON'T RARELY HAVE, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO DRIVE IN, YOU KNOW, ICY AND SNOW CONDITIONS.
SO REALLY ON THE TOP OF MY LIST IS THE HAZARDOUS ROAD CONDITIONS.
SO FOR THAT REASON, WE CLOSED GOVERNMENT.
WE'RE GONNA ANNOUNCE TODAY, WE'RE GONNA CLOSE GOVERNMENT AS WELL ON WEDNESDAY.
SO, UM, AND WE'RE DOING THAT SIMPLY TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY STAYS OFF THE ROADS AND IS, IS SAFE, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE ICY CONDITIONS.
AND THEN MAYBE IT'LL MELT IN THE DAY AND THEN REFREEZE AGAIN AT NIGHT.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS GONNA LOOK LIKE THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS.
BUT WE DO KNOW THE ROADS WILL BE VERY HAZARDOUS AND MANY, MANY TEAMS ARE LOOKING AT CLOSING ROADS AND MARK WILL GO OVER OUR PROCEDURES, BUT IT'S DANGEROUS OUT THERE, AND WE ARE JUST ASKING EVERYBODY TO STAY HOME AND SHELTER IN PLACE IF WE'LL CALL IT THAT.
UH, MY SECOND CONCERN IS ALSO WITH GENERATOR SAFETY AND, UM, UH, SPACE HEATER SAFETY.
WE DID LOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, DURING HURRICANE IDA, WE LOST MANY PEOPLE WITH CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.
AND WE KNOW IF WE HAVE ELECTRICAL OUTAGES AND A LOT OF PEOPLE NOW HAVE GENERATORS MORE THAN EVER.
UM, WE NEED TO REALLY BE SAFE WITH OUR GENERATOR USE.
AND ALSO, UM, OUR SPACE HEATER USES, UM, ESPECIALLY IN OLD SPACE HEATER, DOES NOT HAVE THE SAFETY MECHANISMS THAT THE NEWER SPACE HEATER HAS.
AND WE CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL INTO THOSE SAFETY.
BUT I ALSO WANNA HIT, WHAT WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS OUR WATER, UM, PIPES AND POTENTIAL BREAKS IN THE LINE.
SO WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY TO REALLY CONSERVE THEIR WATER USE, AND I'LL LET MARK GO OVER MORE DETAIL OF WHY WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO RUN THEIR WATER AND RUN THEIR FAUCETS.
UM, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MARK DREW AND HE CAN GO OVER, UM, SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE, AND THEN I CAN COME BACK AND GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WATER PRESSURE, UH, MAINTAINING IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE PRIMARY ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH THROUGH THIS EVENT.
UH, ROUGHLY, UH, OVER 60 PS PSI IS WHAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE PRESSURE, IT DROPS BELOW 40, THEN WE START HAVING TROUBLE FIGHTING FIRES, AND OF COURSE, IF IT GOES BELOW 20, WE HAVE TO GET INTO A BALL WATER ADVISORY.
UH, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS TO KNOW IS BASICALLY AS, UH, THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID, UH, WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE IN SLAB HOUSES NOT TO RUN THEIR WATER.
YOU JUST NEED TO WRAP YOUR PIPES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE, OKAY? ANY FAUCETS ON THE OUTSIDE OR YOUR PIPE, UH, THAT COMES UP AND GOES INTO YOUR HOUSE.
HOWEVER, IF YOU DO HAVE A RAISED HOUSE WHERE THOSE PIPES CAN, YOU KNOW, GET THAT COLD WEATHER AND THAT WIND, UH, WHAT WE SUGGEST IS THAT YOU RUN JUST ONE FAUCET WITH A SPAGHETTI LIKE DRIP, AND IT SHOULD BE THE FAUCET SST FROM YOUR INTAKE.
WHEREVER THAT WATER COMES INTO YOUR HOUSE, YOU WANT TO THAT SST UH, FAUCET, TYPICALLY, THE WATER'S GONNA COME INTO YOUR HOUSE TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
UH, BUT WE HAVE MOBILIZED 130 WATER DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.
SO AS BREAKS OCCUR, WE WILL OBVIOUSLY MOBILIZE OUR FORCES TO FIRST ISOLATE THOSE BRAKES.
UH, WE'LL PRIORITIZE THOSE BRAKES FOR REPAIRS.
UH, 'CAUSE THE WHOLE GOAL IS TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WE LOST THROUGH THOSE LOSE THROUGH THOSE BREAKS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THE WATER PRESSURE.
UH, SO WE WILL ASK THAT YOU DO CONSERVE WATER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OVER THESE NEXT FEW DAYS, WHICH WILL HELP US OUT GREATLY BECAUSE AS PEOPLE DO RUN THOSE FAUCETS, IT ALREADY DROPS OUR PRESSURE DOWN, UH, BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, EXACERBATES THE VOLUME THAT'S BEING USED.
AND WITH THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO, UH, THE PARISH PRESIDENT.
OKAY? SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, WE HAVE SOME WARMING CENTERS IN PLACE AND WE HAVE PROBABLY ABOUT 20 ON EACH SIDE.
WE HAVE ONE ON THE WEST BANK AND ONE ON THE EAST BANK.
BUT WHAT I SAID IS 20 PEOPLE ALREADY THERE, I THINK 23 ON THE WEST BANK.
THE LATEST NUMBERS I HAD IN 19 ON THE EAST BANK.
SO THOSE ARE ON THE WEST BANK.
IT'S TARRYTOWN PLAYGROUND, 6 41 HERITAGE AVENUE IN TARRYTOWN.
AND ON THE EAST BANK, IT'S THE RIO SPECIAL NEEDS CENTER, 6,900 SAINTS DRIVE, THAT'S AIRLINE NEAR DAVID DRIVE.
OKAY? SO ANYBODY WHO, UM, UH, DOESN'T HAVE PROPER, UM, SHELTERING, PLEASE COME THERE AND, AND LET'S BE SAFE.
UM, YOU'LL GET A CO IN EMORY AND WATER.
UM, IF YOU HAVE A PET, BRING YOUR PET.
WE HAVE SUPPLIES THERE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PET AS WELL.
SO PLEASE, UM, MAKE SURE YOU PASS THE WORD OUT ON THAT.
UM, ALSO, I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THE BUS SCHEDULE.
TODAY IS, UH, WOULD'VE BEEN IS OUR MLK HOLIDAY.
SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A SATURDAY SCHEDULE ANYWAY, AND THEN NO BUS SERVICE TOMORROW.
UM, AND STAY TUNED FOR WEDNESDAY.
UH, WE JUST ANNOUNCED THAT WE'RE CLOSING WEDNESDAY.
SO WE'LL GET WORD TO YOU ABOUT BUS SCHEDULE ON WEDNESDAY.
MONDAY, TUESDAY, OR WEDNESDAY.
THERE WILL BE NO GARBAGE PICKUP.
AGAIN, WE WANT TO KEEP AS MANY TRUCKS OFF THE ROAD.
UM, AND THEN OUR EOC HAS BEEN ACTIVATED.
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UM, I SIGNED AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION.UM, AND WE WILL HAVE OUR EOC ACTIVATED TO GET US THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS BECAUSE, UM, WE KNOW HOW CRITICAL THIS IS.
SO, UM, WE'RE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY AND WE HOPE EVERYBODY WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AS WELL.
I HAVE TEAMS ON THE EAST BANK AND WEST BANK.
I'M TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF DRIVING WE DO.
THAT'S WHY I PUT CERTAIN ONE OF US, UH, PEOPLE ON THE EAST BANK AND WEST BANK.
'CAUSE MAYBE THE BRIDGES WILL BE CLOSED.
I'LL GO BACK TO MARK TOO BECAUSE, UM, GO OVER WHAT OUR PLANS ARE FOR.
UM, AND STAY TUNED WITH US ON OUR WEBSITE.
JUST LIKE, UM, YOUR STATE HAS A WEBSITE THAT WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE STREET CLOSURE.
SO MARK CAN GO OVER SOME OF OUR PREPARATION AND SOME OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE AREAS YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
UH, WITH REGARD TO ROADS, UH, LIKE WE SAID, THE, THE, THE BEST THING HE CAN DO IS STAY OFF OF THE ROADS.
HOWEVER, IF IN AN EMERGENCY, IF YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO USE THE ROADS, THE BEST THING IS TO TRY TO PLOT A STRATEGY WHERE YOU CAN STAY ON SURFACE LEVEL ROADWAYS AND AVOID OVERPASSES.
UH, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE DOTD BECAUSE THE DOTD CONTROLS A LOT OF THE, THE ROADS, UH, IN JEFFERSON PARISH AS WELL AS THEY DO IN ALL OF THE, THE MAJOR CITIES.
UH, BUT WE HAVE SOME ROADWAYS WHERE WE WILL PREEMPTIVELY, UH, MAKE SOME MODIFICATIONS TODAY AT NOON.
THE LAPALCO OVERPASS OF THE HARVEY CANAL, WHICH IS OUR ONLY, UH, MECHANICAL BRIDGE THAT THE PARISH OWNS AND HAS THAT METAL GRATE ON THE MAIN SPAN, WHICH TENDS TO GET VERY SLICK DURING THESE EVENTS.
WE'LL REDUCE THAT TO ONE LANE AT NOON TODAY, SO WE CAN HELP MANAGE IT, OR WE'LL SLOW THE TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH THAT BRIDGE.
UH, AT ABOUT 2:00 PM AFTER WE REDUCE THAT TO ONE LANE, WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THE HIGHRISE BRIDGE ON LE ALCO THAT GOES OVER THE CNET, UH, BA UST, UH, IT'S EASY TO GET AROUND THAT BRIDGE BY GOING TO THE WEST BANK EXPRESSWAY.
AND AT 5:00 PM UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THE CLEARY OVERPASS OF THE I 10.
AGAIN, YOU CAN GO TO BARNABLE, UH, TO THE EAST, OR YOU CAN GO TO TRANSCONTINENTAL TO THE WEST.
AND THOSE STAY GROUND LEVEL, THEY'LL GO UNDER THE I 10.
SO YOU CAN GET AROUND THOSE, AND THAT WAY WE CAN NOW FOCUS ON TOMORROW'S EVENT WHERE WE'LL HAVE SAND TRUCKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VENT.
AND IF WE NEED TO BRING THOSE SAND TRUCKS TO MAYBE SAY, UH, DO SOMETHING, I'D SAY THE CAUSEWAY OVERPASSES TO MAINTAIN CAUSEWAY OR OTHER BRIDGES, WE CAN FOCUS ON THOSE WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE BRIDGES THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE ISSUES WITH.
SO THAT'S OUR PLAN TO WORK WITH THE DOTD.
UH, HAVE OUR SAND TRUCKS AVAILABLE TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT THEY DO.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE STAFF ON BOTH SIDES, EAST BANK AND WEST BANK THAT CAN ACTUALLY CLOSE SOME MAJOR ARTERIES IF WE NEED TO.
AND THEN AGAIN, I MENTIONED IT EARLIER, BUT WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, HEATING, UM, HAZARDS.
SO WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE USING SPACE HEATERS AND GENERATORS.
REMEMBER THE GENERATORS NEED TO BE AT LEAST 20 FEET AWAY FROM YOUR HOME.
THEY HAVE THREE FEET OF CLEAR SPACE AROUND THAT GENERATOR.
MAKE SURE YOUR EXHAUST GOES AWAY FROM YOUR HOME.
UM, KEEPING IT AWAY FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS.
UM, AND THEN THE SPACE HEATERS, ESPECIALLY THE NEWER ONES, ARE BETTER AND THEY HAVE AUTOMATIC SHUTOFFS.
BUT IF PEOPLE GO GRAB AN OLDER ONE, PLEASE MAKE SURE WE'RE SAFE WITH THE SPACE HEATERS.
THREE FEET AWAY FROM ALL FURNITURE DRAPES, ANY OTHER FLAMMABLE, UM, MATERIAL, YOU WANNA PLUG THAT SPACE HEATER DIRECTLY INTO THE WALL.
NO EXTENSION CORDS, NO SURGE PROTECTORS, NO POWER STRIPS.
GO STRAIGHT FROM THE SPACE HEATER TO THE WALL.
UM, YOU WANNA TURN IT OFF WHEN YOU LEAVE THE ROOM, NEVER LEAVE IT UNATTENDED.
I JUST SPOKE WITH OUR CHIEF LAST NIGHT.
HE SAYS, TURN IT OFF WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP.
JUST TURN IT OFF WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP, PEOPLE GET HOT, THEY TURN THE BLANKETS OFF.
HE'S BEEN TO A FIRE LIKE THAT.
SO OUR, OUR FIRE PROTECTION AND OUR CHIEFS ARE VERY, VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY KNOW GENERATOR USE WILL BE HIGH AND SPACE HEATER.
AND WE WANNA GET THROUGH THIS EVENT WITHOUT ANY INJURIES OR ANY FIRES REGARDING, UM, THOSE THINGS.
SO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, CHILDREN, PETS, ALL OF THESE THINGS.
THIS IS NOT WHAT WE'RE USED TO DOING ALL THE TIME.
AND SO, UM, THESE ARE THE TIMES WHERE THE HAZARDS ARE THERE.
WE'RE TAKING THIS VERY SERIOUSLY.
OUR TEAMS ARE TAKING THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND WE ASK THAT EVERYBODY DO THE SAME.
ANY QUESTIONS? THE AIRPORT, ARE YOU GUYS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRPORT AND ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT THAT? I, I, I HAVE NOT.
I HEARD SOMETHING YESTERDAY, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CHANGES.
SO, UM, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING SINCE THEN.
AND BRINING OF ROADS, IS THERE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN THAT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN TODAY? SHE SAID BRINING SAND, I GUESS.
WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IS TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO IS JPSO IS OUT ON THE STREETS AND AS SOON AS THEY SEE THERE'S AN ISSUE, THEY CONTACT US AND WE WILL THEN MOBILIZE AND WE'LL BRING THE SAND TRUCKS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
ANY EQUIPMENT THAT YOU GUYS ARE, UH, BRINGING IN FROM ANY OUT OF STATE OR OTHER AREAS JUST TO SUPPORT YOU? UH, WE HAVE EMERGENCY CONTRACTORS ON BOARD AND READY TO GO.
UH, WE HAVE CONTRACTED THAT CAN HELP US WITH REPAIRS OF WATER LINES.
AND WE'VE ALSO MOBILIZED OUR CONTRACTOR IN CASE WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT POWER OUTAGES, UH, FOR OUR SEWER SYSTEM.
UH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOBILIZE TEMPORARY PORTABLE PUMPS OR TEMPORARY GENERATORS TO RUN THOSE LIFT STATIONS THAT ARE WITHOUT POWER.
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HOW DOES THE, UH, EMERGENCY DECLARATION IMPACT THE SUPPLIES AND RESOURCES NEEDED? SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PRE PLACED, WE CALL IT PRE PLACED EMERGENCY CONTRACTS.SO WHEN I SIGN AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION, IT ALMOST TRIGGERS THE, OUR ABILITY TO USE THOSE CONTRACTS AND IT, IT CHANGES SOME OF THE PROCUREMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, MEASURES THAT WE HAVE THAT THAT GETS LOOSENED DURING A TIME OF EMERGENCY AS WELL AS THE PAY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
IT PUTS EVERYBODY IN A KIND OF A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE IN TERMS OF THE WORKFORCE AS WELL, UH, ALLOWING LIKE RESORT OVERTIME AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND IT PUTS 'EM IN A DIFFERENT PLAY AND, AND IT REALLY SETS THAT I CAN, YOU KNOW, ORDER THINGS OR HAVE THE SUPPLIES NEEDED WITHOUT ANY OF THE, UM, MORE TIMELY, UM, PROCUREMENT MEASURES.
AND WHICH CITIES OR AREAS WITHIN JEFFERSON PARISH ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO THE COLD WEATHER THIS WEEK? AND HOW IS THE PARISH ADDRESSING THESE RISKS? I MEAN, ALL OF US LET, I'LL LET MARK FROM, FROM A PUBLIC WORKS PERSPECTIVE HANDLE THAT.
LOOK FROM A PUBLIC WORKS PERSPECTIVE, OUR SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, IS PARISH WIDE.
OKAY? SO OUR WATER SEWER SYSTEMS, THEY AFFECT EVERYONE THE MOST VULNERABLE, PROBABLY, AGAIN, ARE GONNA BE THE FURTHEST AWAY FROM OUR TREATMENT PLANTS.
UH, 'CAUSE AS YOU LOSE PRESSURE, OBVIOUSLY THE PRESSURE CLOSER TO OUR TREATMENT PLANTS, UH, YOU KNOW, IS IN A LITTLE BETTER SHAPE.
UH, BUT AGAIN, UH, ALL WE CAN DO IS TRY TO ADDRESS THE BRAKES AND TRY TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE AS HIGH AS WE CAN WITH REGARD TO THE WATER SYSTEMS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
PLEASE STAY SAFE AND TAKE THIS, UH, NEXT COUPLE DAYS.
THE, THE WARMING SENSOR WILL BE OPEN UNTIL WEDNESDAY, UM, UNTIL IT NEED BE.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES, BUT WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT AS LONG AS WE NEED TO AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXPAND OTHER, YOU KNOW, PLACES IF IT GETS CROWDED.