Southeast
Louisiana, including Jefferson Parish and the New Orleans Metropolitan area, is
at risk for all hurricanes due to our proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and
Lake Pontchartrain, our low lying topography, and the continuing
erosion of our wetlands.
You are especially at risk if:
- You live outside of levee protection
- You live in a mobile home or recreational vehicle
- You live in a low-lying area or on the coast
While every hurricane could potentially cause problems in our area, we are
especially at risk if a hurricane is a category 3 or higher on the Saffir
Simpson Scale.
|
SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE |
|
|
Category |
Wind Speed (miles per hour) |
|
|
1 |
74-95 |
|
|
2 |
96-110 |
|
|
3 |
111-130 |
|
|
4 |
131-155 |
|
|
5 |
>155 |
|
|
|
|
|
In times of emergency, the Parish of Jefferson has the authority and responsibility to oversee the
safety of the parish and its citizens.
The Sheriff and other first responder agencies participate in this
effort.
To accomplish this task, the Parish has established an Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) to oversee the parish's response to potential disasters, such
as hurricanes. See www.jeffparish.net
for detailed information on what to do when a hurricane threatens this area.
This site includes information on:
- Evacuation Considerations
- Hurricane Evacuation Guidelines
- State Police Phased Evacuations
- Emergency Bus Transportation
- Evacuation Routes
- Radio Frequencies
- Severe Weather Terms
- Public Shelter Information
- Shelter in Place Information
- Preparing Your Pets
One of the more peculiar and important aspects of our emergency response is the
phased evacuation of the area and the use of “contraflow” (i.e., turning all
outgoing lanes of the interstates outbound).
Guidelines are established by the Louisiana State Police. The Parish, the Sheriff, and other
local municipal police departments assist in this evacuation. See the links below for maps and
details.
Click here
for Contraflow Map & Driving Instructions – LA State Police
Click here
for
Contraflow Map & Driving Instructions –
Jefferson Parish
Click here
for
Jefferson Parish Special Needs Guideline