Official: Get a game plan for hurricanes

St. Mary Parish residents should make sure they have a “game plan” for what to do in the event a hurricane hits the region, said Paul Rappmundt, deputy director of the St. Mary Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security.
Rappmundt advised people to “prepare for the worst” and “hope for the best.” Keeping extra water and batteries for flashlights on hand are good ways to be prepared for hurricanes, he said.
Additionally, residents should plan ahead to ensure they have all valuable papers and documents with them, including property deeds, life insurance, homeowner’s insurance and flood insurance policies, if they have to evacuate, Rappmundt said.
The hurricane season began Monday and runs through Nov. 30.
People generally expect the wind associated with hurricanes, but storm surge can be the most life-threatening aspect of a hurricane, especially if residents aren’t prepared for it, Rappmundt said.
“The biggest thing is keep an eye on the weather. Don’t let anything surprise you. Don’t be afraid to sit down and look at the Weather Channel every morning to make sure you don’t have any storms coming in on you,” he said.
Though the 2015 hurricane season is projected to be a slow season due to the El Niño cycle, Hurricane Andrew occurred in 1992 during an El Niño season and caused lots of damage in St. Mary Parish, Rappmundt said.
“It doesn’t matter whether there’s an El Niño or not, you can still have a storm, and everybody needs to be prepared for the worst no matter what,” Rappmundt said.
If a storm requires evacuation, St. Mary Parish residents without a place to go can stay at shelters in Alexandria, Monroe and Shreveport, Rappmundt said. However, residents should bring their own bed linens or sleeping bags as many shelters just provide a cot and “a place to lay your head,” Rappmundt said.
“It’s kind of like going on vacation, you have to bring enough clothes, bring your camping gear or that type of thing, or some type of bed linen and stuff like that. It’s like you were going to be going to a vacation cabin somewhere, and they didn’t really supply everything,” he said.
It’s also important that people let family and friends know where they plan to go when they evacuate, Rappmundt said.
When traveling to a shelter, Rappmundt says people should bring non-perishable food with them, including food for their pets, and whatever medications they need to have on hand.
Once a storm becomes active in the Atlantic Ocean, Rappmundt will begin sending out advisories to area public officials and media, he said. Depending on where the storm is projected to make landfall, parish officials will evaluate if and when an evacuation of the parish is necessary, he said.
Officials generally give at least a 48-hour notice prior to an evacuation of the parish, Rappmundt said.
If a storm is predicted to hit to the west of St. Mary Parish in the Lafayette and Lake Charles areas, parish officials will typically go ahead and evacuate low-lying areas first as the counter-rotation of the storm will throw water on St. Mary Parish, Rappmundt said.
Preparations would then be made to get non-ambulatory people in nursing homes and hospitals evacuated, he said. The parish has agreements with bus companies to provide transportation for people to get to shelters, he said.
Next, parish officials would evacuate people who are ambulatory but need transportation or assistance to get to transportation, he said. Finally, the rest of the people in the parish would be evacuated, he said.
The decision of whether to evacuate the parish is based on the strength of the storm and the storm track, Rappmundt said. The call to evacuate is made by the parish president based on National Weather Service information and past experience, he said.
If the parish is evacuated, Rappmundt suggested St. Mary Parish residents look at the St. Mary Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security Facebook page or call the office at 337-828-4100 ext. 135 to check to see when re-entering the parish is safe.
Just because residents have necessary supplies to come back to the parish doesn’t mean returning is a good idea, he said. If the parish is without electricity, fresh water can’t be processed and the sewer systems back up, which brings the threat of cholera, Rappmundt said.
Because a hurricane hasn’t hit the region in a while, “people tend to get in a comfort zone,” Rappmundt said.
“People need to be aware that hurricanes can happen any time,” Rappmundt said.
During the 2005 season, storms developed in the Atlantic all the way into January 2006, he said.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald. Reach Zach at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com