 
Hurricane Season 2010
The latest coordinate information and storm tracking maps can be found here.
Hurricane Season is here once again. Are you prepared?
According to a recent survey, most people along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts haven’t made hurricane survival plans. With forecasters predicting an active to extremely active hurricane season for 2010 (with 14-23 named storms, 8-14 hurricanes and 3-7 possible major hurricanes), it’s more important than ever to be prepared.
LifeSongs wants to make sure you and your family take all the necessary precautions in case of an emergency.
New Orleans’ Plan
Everyone needs a Game Plan! www.getagameplan.org
City officials stress that there will be no shelters of last resort in the area, though they will help those who need assitance find a safe place.
In the event of a category three hurricane or stronger, the city will begin implementing its mandatory evacuation plan. That plan begins when tropical force winds are 84 hours off the Louisiana Coast. At the 54 hour mark RTA busses will begin picking up residents in need at 15 locations (see pickup points listed below), bringing them to either the New Orleans Arena or the train station. At the 50 hour mark, the state begins evacuation of areas outside the levee protection. At 30 hours the mayor orders a mandatory evacuation and the state implements contraflow traffic. At 12 hours the last Amtrak train leaves the city, and at six hours, the city hunkers down in preparation for the storm.
There is currently a plan in place for pet evacuations, but people will be separated from their pets during processing at the arena. Anyone wishing to stay with their animal will have to make their own evacuation plans. Where the busses and trains go will be up to the state and federal government. The city also unveiled a new emergency message system that will notify citizens, first responders and even tourists in the event of an emergency. Anyone wishing to receive the text message notification must register by going to www.nolaready.info.
If anyone needs help evacuating and wants to be a part of the city’s assisted evacuation plan, they can call the city’s hotline at 311 or 658-2299. It is staffed from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Special needs/evacuation assistance registration numbers:
Orleans - 311
Jefferson - 504-349-5360
St. Bernard - 504-278-1593
Plaquemines - 504-297-5000
St. Tammany - 985-898-2359
There will be 15 bus pick up points:
RTA Pickup Points
Senior Center Locations
Arthur Mondy Center - 1111 Newton St. , Algiers
Central City Senior Center - 2020 Phillip St., Central City
Kingsley House - 1600 Constance St., Lower Garden
Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church - 1226 S. Carrollton Ave. Carrollton
General Population Bus Stops
Dryades YMCA - 1924 Phillip St., Central City
Lyons Community Center - 624 Louisiana Ave., Irish Channel
Mary Queen of Vietnam - 3600 Willowbrook, NO East
Walgreen’s - Lake Forest and Read, NO East
McMain High School - 5712 S. Claiborne Ave., Broadmoor
Municipal Auditorium - 801 N. Rampart St., 7th Ward
O. Perry Walker High School - 2832 General Meyer, Algiers
Palmer Park - S. Claiborne & S. Carrollton, W. Carrollton
Stallings Community Center - 4300 St. Claude, Bywater
Warren Easton High School - 3019 Canal St., Treme
Sanchez Center – Claiborne and Caffin, Lower 9th Ward
Sign-Up for the Hurricane Alert System
The city wants everyone living in New Orleans to sign-up for a new Hurricane Alert System. Those who register will be contacted via e-mail, cell phone, pager or Blackberry about any storms threatening the region. To sign-up, you have two options: Go to www.nolaready.info OR text a blank message to NOLA4U. Shortly after, you will receive a text response giving further directions.
New Orleans Arena To Be Used In Evacuation
The New Orleans Arena will be used as the city’s main evacuation processing center for residents with no way of leaving in advance of a major hurricane this year. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will be used as a staging area for emergency personnel, including National Guard, police and firefighters. Using the arena for residents also will make it easier to move elderly or special-needs evacuees to trains at the nearby Union Passenger Station.
Contraflow Plans Ready for Hurricane Season
When a big hurricane is imminent, the only way to get people out of the way is contraflow. The state once again plans to turn the interstates in one direction to evacuate. For our region, there are three sections of highway where contraflow would be used. But state and local leaders hope people plan ahead, and get out early to beat the gridlock if a big storm heads our way.
Once the contraflow plan goes into effect, barriers at I-10 and Clearview would be moved so all traffic would head west from Metairie into LaPlace. While traffic would flow westbound to LaPlace in one direction, eastbound traffic on I-10 and Clearview would continue east into Slidell.
Once the traffic reaches LaPlace, drivers can continue west or head north. If you go north on I-55, contraflow would begin northbound once you pass I-12. It would continue until Brookhaven, Mississippi.
Those evacuating from Slidell, I-59 northbound would become contraflow into a designated point in Mississippi.
New state maps will soon be available with contraflow maps, and other vital hurricane information. As we approach hurricane season, state police urge you to consider some alternate routes if an evacuation order is issued. And be sure your car is in good working order and has a full tank of gas. To make things easier, new signs would be used, if there were an evacuation. State police also want to remind people if we evacuate, it is against the law to move their FEMA trailers with them.
Emergency Shelter Information & Checkpoints
Because of the fluid nature of shelter occupancy, citizens are encouraged to obtain information about shelter openings and locations at shelter information points along the evacuation route. Information about shelter evacuation points will be posted on this site as well as on the Department of Social Services website, the Louisiana State Police website, or by calling the American Red Cross at toll-free number, (866) GET-INFO or (866) 438-4636.
Personal/Family Emergency Preparedness
Be sure you and your loved ones have a clear plan of action in place in case of a mandatory evacuation, including evacuation maps, emergency contact information, and an emergency preparedness kit. There are six basics that you should stock for your disaster supply kit: water, food, clothing and bedding, first aid supplies, tools and emergency supplies and special items. Click here for a complete list of items for your family disaster supply kit.
Other Resources/Links
www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com - What a storm could do to the oil slick in the Gulf
www.nola.com - Printable 2010 Contraflow Map & Hurricane Checklist
www.hurricanesafety.org - Tips from the National Hurricane Survival Initiative (including the National Hurricane Center, FEMA, the Salvation Army and others)
www.emergency.louisiana.gov - Disaster resources from the state of Louisiana
www.getagameplan.org - Links to PDFs and web sites that can help you develop a simple but successful game plan for your family.
www.nolaready.com - Everything you need to know to prepare for a disaster from the city of New Orleans
www.nolaready.info - Sign up for local emergency updates via text message or email
www.cityofno.com - Evacuation tips, weather resources and emergency information from the city’s Office of Emergency Preparedness
www.ready.gov - Information on hurricane preparation from the federal government
www.fema.gov - Hurricane instructions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
www.redcross.org - Helpful information from the Red Cross to keep you prepared in the event of an emergency
www.nws.noaa.gov - National Weather Service
www.nhc.noaa.gov - National Hurricane Center
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