St. Tammany Parish has declared a state of emergency parish-wide as a preventative measure in advance of the effects of Tropical Storm Karen, the parish announced today.
Parish President Pat Brister signed the executive order declaring the emergency at 10:45 a.m.
The parish has begun implementing parts of its storm plan, but has not called for any evacuations.
"At this time we are continuing to assess the potential need for sandbagging, sheltering and other emergency needs," Brister said in a press release issued by the parish. "Based upon the forecast track, we will announce any additional emergency preparedness plans to the public as they happen through the local media, our website at www.stpgov.org, [and] through social media on Facebook and Twitter."
Brister says the St. Tammany Parish Government will continue to work a normal work day today, and the parish Emergency Operations Center has only been partially activated.
The parish is urging residents to prepare for the storm, particularly the people living in low-lying areas. Parish officials are asking residents to account for family members, identify shelter, secure loose items and clear storm drains, and to stock up on necessities.
St. Tammany Parish residents looking for emergency updates can call (985) 809-2300, or sign up for email updates from the parish at www.stpgov.org/register.php.
The St. Tammany Parish Disaster Declaration:
