Saying that weathermen should stick to the weather, Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard blasted FOX 8 meteorologist Bob Breck during the station’s 9 p.m. newscast Tuesday for telling residents to delay their evacuation plans until eastbound traffic eased on Interstate 10.
Broussard told anchor John Snell that the comments, which Breck made around 2 p.m. as he pointed to live video of cars crawling up Interstate 610, subverted public safety and elected officials’ unified directive for residents to get out as Hurricane Ivan churned offshore.
“The important thing was to not have a contradicted message at that point in time,” said Broussard, via live feed from the parish’s Emergency Operations Center in Marrero. “Editorialize later.”
Snell, who said he was not trying to defend the station or its meteorologist, noted that Breck’s comments came as official plans designed to move residents to higher ground seemed to be breaking down. WVUE-TV’s news director could not be reached Wednesday.
Broussard long has acknowledged the news media for their role in spreading official messages in times of crisis. When he heard Breck’s remarks Tuesday afternoon, “he was not pleased about it,” parish spokeswoman Jacquie Bauer said.
The parish president’s televised response came after Broussard updated reporters Tuesday evening on Ivan’s path and added that “people need to listen to their government officials as far as evacuation and that the meteorologists need to report the weather,” Bauer said.
A FOX 8 reporter “picked up on that,” she said, “and they asked if he would go live with John Snell.”
The homeless woman who lives on the neutral ground at Canal and Broad streets competed for space with vehicles as the storm grew near. She sat in the rain, next to her grocery cart filled with stuffed plastic bags and umbrellas saying she wound not budge.
“I’ve been through hurricanes and tornadoes,” she said. “I’m staying here.”