City Council Vice President Arnie Fielkow announced that a public hearing on hurricane evacuation and shelter planning for the upcoming hurricane season will be held on Tuesday, May 26th from 5-7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber.
"Emergency planning is key to keeping our city safe through this upcoming hurricane season, and community involvement is crucial," said Fielkow. "Our goal is to ensure that every citizen of New Orleans has access to reliable evacuation services and safe emergency shelters."
This hearing will afford citizens the opportunity to hear and comment on 2009 emergency plans. Citizens will also be asked to share their experiences in state emergency shelters last fall as evacuees during Hurricane Gustav. The public hearing is a follow-up to a request for such an information session made during the May 7th City Council meeting.
Featured speakers include Kristy Nichols, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Social Services, Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Sneed of the City of New Orleans Office of Homeland Security, and representatives of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, Military Division, and the Louisiana State Police.
Hurricane Gustav forced nearly 2 million Gulf Coast residents to evacuate their homes, while nearly 800,000 residents in Louisiana were without power for days.
The public hearing will also be broadcast live on NOA-TV
