Food Stamps

Following an incident where a tent collapsed at a food stamp distribution site in St. James Parish earlier today, the Louisiana Department of Social Services released the following statement.

"After a tent collapse at a Disaster Food Stamp application site in St. James Parish, the Department of Social Services preliminary assessment has found that weather conditions, due to a thunderstorm, pulled the tent up from its stakes. Preliminary reports from local officials indicate that three people were transported to a hospital for evaluation. The application process is now continuing and officials on the ground say everything is now running smoothly."

Blue Tarps

The City of New Orleans will begin distributing blue tarps this afternoon to Orleans Parish residents who need immediate, emergency roof coverings.

The tarps will be distributed from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. (while supplies last) at the Municipal Auditorium Grounds, 1201 St. Peters St. Residents should enter through the Basin Street gate.

Supplies are limited, and only one tarp will be distributed to each household. Each person receiving a tarp will be asked to provide identification and will have to provide their address information.

The blue tarps are separate from the Blue Roof program, in which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installs the covering for homeowners. FEMA is expected to begin next week.

The City also is encouraging Hurricane Gustav evacuees who participated in the City Assisted Evacuation Plan to claim lost luggage as soon as possible at the Dream Center at 1127 St. Charles Ave.

Hours of operation for the Center today are from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Volunteers will be at the Center to help individuals locate their luggage. The Center will not be open this weekend.

Telephone numbers have been set up for those who have questions about lost luggage. Citizens can dial 311 within the New Orleans area. Outside to New Orleans area, dial 504-658-2299 or 1-877-286-6431. The hearing impaired can dial 504-658-2059 or 1-800-981-6653. Spanish and Vietnamese language assistance is also available.

Lost Luggage:

*          Individuals may pick up missing or lost luggage at:

                        *          The Dream Center

1137 St. Charles

New Orleans, LA

*          The Center will be open Thursday, September 11, 2008, 10 am to 6 pm and Friday, September 12, 2008, 10 am to 6 pm.

*          For Information on your luggage please call 311 help line within the New Orleans area. Outside of the New Orleans area call 504-658-2299 or 1-877-286-6431. The hearing impaired can dial 504-658-2059 or 1-800-981-6652.

Blue Tarp Distribution:

*          The City of New Orleans will be distributing blue tarps to individuals who have a critical need for them.

*          The distribution center will be at the Municipal Auditorium grounds at 1201 St. Peters. Entrance can be gained using the Basin Street gate. The distributions center will be open for operations at 1:00 pm, September 11, 2008. They will remain open until 6:00 pm.

*          One tarp will be given out per household. Individuals will be asked to fill out paperwork listing their name, phone, and address.

*          This program is not the BLUE ROOF PROGRAM that FEMA offers, this is a program that will help individuals with any immediate needs they may have to temporary fix issues they may have at this time with their roofs.

*          Lines are expected to be long so please only come to this facility if your roof is expected to leak. You will have to place the 20x20 tarp on your roof yourself.

Hearings Postponed

Due to Hurricane Gustav and Ike, the following hearings have been postponed until further notice. The public comment period is also continued until further notice:

The public hearing scheduled to receive comments on the draft Hazardous Waste Post-Closure Permit and the Associated Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS) for the CECOS International, Inc. Westlake Facility previously scheduled for Thursday, September 11, 2008, beginning at 6:00 p.m., at the Westlake Council Chambers, Westlake, Calcasieu Parish, is postponed until further notice.

The public hearing scheduled to receive comments on a draft hazardous waste operating renewal permit for Rubicon, LLC- Geismar Facility, previously scheduled for Tuesday, September 16, 2008, beginning at 6:00 p.m., at the Geismar Community Center, Geismar, Ascension Parish, is postponed until further notice.

Levees and Storm Gates

The Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration is working closely with levee district and Corps of Engineers officials to direct necessary resources and monitor storm surge levels as Hurricane Ike moves into the central Gulf of Mexico.

New Orleans area levee districts reported Thursday morning, Sept. 11, the closing of 21 flood gates in the New Orleans area and the anticipation of additional closings as storm surge levels continue to rise through Saturday, Sept. 13.

Railroad companies have been notified that the need to close gates crossing rail li! nes is anticipated as early as Thursday afternoon.

The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority West is anticipating the closure of all floodgates on the West Bank of Orleans and Jefferson Parish as early as Thursday afternoon.

Flooding in low lying areas of St. Bernard Parish outside the New Orleans Area Hurricane Protection System near the towns of Shell Beach, Hopedale and Yscloskey has been reported.

Contractors and parish officials in Plaquemines Parish working to repair the levee breech on the "Citrus Lands Levee" on the west bank of the parish reported that the breech caused by Hurricane Gustav has been filled with Hesco sand baskets and closed. Additional sand bags are being placed on the crown of the levee and were placed on the exterior of the levee to provide additional armoring. Officials reported water levels were rising on the exterior of the levee Thursday morning.

Work being performed by both the Cor! ps of Engineers and OCPR contractors to repair scour areas on Grand Is le caused by Gustav has been halted due to worsening weather conditions. OCPR contractors were working to add additional rock jetties to provide shoreline protection to the east end of Grand Isle through Wednesday night. High seas and rising storm surges from Ike have suspended that work. Work will continue after Ike's passing.

The Corps of Engineers halted work on repairs to the Grand Isle beach levee Wednesday as well. The Corps has reported that major breeches and scour areas on the Grand Isle beach have been filled with sand bags to help prevent further erosion from Ike. Tropical storm conditions are expected at Grand Isle through Saturday with possible storm surges exceeding six feet.

OCPR officials say over-toppings or breeches of parish levees in the lower Terrebonne Parish area near the towns of Montegut, Point-Aux-Chenes and Chauvin are possible.

Floodgates in Lafourche Parish on Bayou Lafourche at Golden Meadow have been clos! ed. Floodgates have been closed in Terrebonne Parish on Bayou Little Caillou and Bayou Terrebonne.

Storm surge heights are forecast to increase to nine feet or more in the central and western parts of coastal Louisiana. A tropical storm warning has been issued for the entire Louisiana coast with a hurricane warning issued for central and western Louisiana from Morgan City in St. Mary Parish through Cameron Parish and extending through the Central Texas coast.

Levee condition updates will be provided as they are obtained.

Food Stamps Extension

The Louisiana Department of Social Services (DSS) will continue accepting applications for Disaster Food Stamps through Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. DSS Secretary Ann Silverberg Williamson announced the seven-day extension today after it was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Disaster Food Stamp program was previously scheduled to close on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Secretary Williamson reiterated her call for the federal government to waive the face-to-face interview requirement for Disaster Food Stamp applicants.

"We believe that people living in federally declared disaster areas should be able to apply on-line or over the phone in order to avoid the long lines," Williamson said.

On Thursday, Sept. 11, Secretary Williamson is scheduled to meet with USDA Food and Nutrition Services Undersecretary Nancy Montanez Johner to discuss the requested waiver.

DSS employees processed 48,104 Disaster Food Stamp applications today from the 31 eligible parishes. That is a total of 78,394 for the two days.

Here is a breakdown of today's numbers:

Applications processed
9/10/2008

Region 1 - Orleans 10,000
Region 2 - Baton Rouge 9,405
Region 3 - Covington 5,936
Region 4 - Thibodaux 5,000
Region 5 - Lafayette 12,608
Region 6 - Lake Charles 1,290
Region 7 - Alexandria 3,798
Region 8 - Shreveport 29
Region 9 - Monroe 38
TOTAL 48,104
(Applications processed are estimates
based on hand counts)

DSS made substantial progress on Wednesday to increase capacity with the opening of four new application sites:

Capitol High School at 1000 North 23rd Street in Baton Rouge
Kirshman's at 115 Armour Drive in Houma
151 Peltier Park in Thibodaux
Christian Fellowship at 5816 East Judge Perez in Violet

The site in Port Sulphur has been closed due to flooding caused by Hurricane Ike. Click here for an updated list of application sites.

Louisiana's Unified Command will continue to ensure that all sites have full security, and succeeded today in providing more water to applicants.

Also on Wednesday, DSS trained an additional 251 staff to be deployed in the new locations to supplement staff in high-volume areas like New Orleans, Jefferson, Baton Rouge and Lafayette.

In order to help the elderly, Council on Aging staff have been trained to administer Disaster Food Stamps. People 60 years of age or older should contact their local parish Councils on Aging for the nearest Disaster Food Stamp Assistance Application Site for seniors. If the local Council on Aging is not available, seniors should contact the Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs at 1-877-340-9100.

DSS Secretary Williamson emphasized that the Disaster Food Stamps program has strictly defined income eligibility and can only be used for the purchase of food, and reminded participants in the regular Food Stamp Program that they do not need to apply. Their benefits will automatically be lifted to the maximum amount allowable for September and their August benefits have been increased by 20 percent in order to replace lost food.