HUD

On Thursday, September 4, 2008, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston will visit Houma, Louisiana to obtain a first hand assessment of public and affordable housing that may have been affected by Hurricane Gustav.  Specifically he will tour a housing development at 100 Senator Circle and visit the Houma Civic Center where staff and volunteers are distributing emergency resources to residence.

Severe Damage

The Baton Rouge Testing and Information Office in the Agriculture and Forestry Building on Florida Blvd. has sustained severe water damage from Hurricane Gustav. The office is closed until further notice.

There will be no Civil Service state testing for at least the next week. Please monitor the Department of State Civil Service Web site at civilservice.la.gov for future testing details.

In the wake of Hurricane Gustav, registered sanitarians from the Department of Health and Hospitals-Office of Public Health (DHH-OPH) are moving across the state inspecting restaurants and grocery stores. The goal of these inspections is to make sure that power outages and damage to restaurants and grocery stores does not affect food quality.

Assistant Secretary for DHH-OPH, M. Rony Francois, MD, MSPH, Ph.D., says that over the next week, sanitarians are expected to look at restaurants and grocery stores in areas that were hit by the hurricane and lost power. "We're not only inspecting food at these businesses, we also want to make sure the refrigerators and freezers are working properly so consumers do not receive spoiled food from these establishments," said Dr. Francois.

Sanitarians will look for signs of food spoilage and make sure refrigerators and freezers are maintaining proper temperatures. They will also check for structural damage to buildings. More than 40,000 businesses operate under permits from DHH-OPH, including restaurants, grocery stores, seafood processors and wholesalers, food and drug warehouses, milk and dairy plants, schools, day cares, nursing homes, hospitals and jails.

Businesses or consumers with questions concerning reopening procedures are encouraged to call sanitarians at their local parish health units. These phone numbers can be found at
http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/?ID=223

Household Chemicals

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality urge residents to use caution when returning to hurricane-damaged homes and buildings. In particular, the agencies advise the following precautions to prevent injury.

Be on the alert for leaking containers and reactive household chemicals, like caustic drain cleaners and chlorine bleach. Clearly mark and set aside unbroken containers until they can be properly disposed. Leave damaged or unlabeled chemical containers undisturbed wherever possible.

Keep children and pets away from leaking or spilled chemicals. Do not combine chemicals from leaking or damaged containers, as this may produce dangerous or violent reactions. Do not dump chemicals down drains, storm sewers or toilets. Do not attempt to burn household chemicals.

Building materials may contain hazardous materials such as asbestos that can be breathed in and cause adverse health effects. If materials are suspected to contain asbestos, they should not be disturbed. Some of the most common asbestos-containing materials include boiler/pipe insulation, fireproofing, floor tiles and roofing.

Thursday

According to the State of Louisiana, there is incorrect information circulating regarding points of distribution for emergency supplies in Baton Rouge leading some residents to the LSU Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC) looking for tarps, ice, water, and food. The PMAC is NOT a distribution center for emergency supplies, and is serving only as a Special Needs Shelter.

The National Guard Point of Distribution (POD) locations in Baton Rouge are as follows:

WAL-MART PARKING LOT
14507 PLANK ROAD
BAKER, LA

WAL-MART
10606 NORTH MALL DRIVE
BATON ROUGE, LA

Also, the State also said in a report filed on the Business Wire September 3, 2008, FEMA Director David Paulison commented on conditions at a shelter in Shreveport. That shelter, located at an abandoned Sam's Club building, is not a city-run shelter as Paulison said; it is a Critical Transportation Needs Shelter operated by the state.

Louisiana Department of Social Services (DSS) Secretary Ann Silverberg Williamson says, "I understand that this is an extremely stressful time for all of our residents impacted by this storm. They want to go home and we want that to happen as well. Until then, we will continue to make sure that our citizens are safe, have food, water and a place to sleep. Shelters, by definition, do not have the privacy or comforts of home but as long as they are needed for our citizens, we will make sure they have the basic necessities."