Tagged: shelters

Washington Parish President Richard Thomas has asked the Red Cross to assist in opening shelters in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac's landfall, the parish said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

Shelters will open at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, the parish said, and remain open until the inclement weather subsides.

The shelters are safe havens only, the parish said, and do not have backup electricity. Residents are urged to bring necessities such as bedding, toiletries and medications with them.

Shelters are located at:

Plaquemines Parish officials have ordered a mandatory evacuation of the east bank of the parish, in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac.

Additionally, there will be a voluntary evacuation for the south end of Plaquemines Parish, from Ironton to Venice. Belle Chasse Auditorium will be opened at noon on Monday as an emergency shelter.

All Plaquemines Parish schools have been closed until further notice.

The New Orleans Mission, a massive homeless shelter, is closing its doors for the summer.

Officials from the mission say the closure is due to lack of funding. Friday will be its last night open. Officials hope to reopen the facility, which employs nine full-time workers, by Sept 15.

WWL-TV reports the mission houses between 160 to 180 people per night, and serves roughly 12,000 meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — each month, along with seeing up to 80 homeless visitors daily.