SLIDELL, LA INFORMATION

The Advocate - Baton Rouge, LA : story link - http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/083005/new_slidell0sen01.shtml Senator: Slidell area likely hardest hit by Katrina

Capitol news bureau Much of Slidell is under water and likely sustained the worst damage from Hurricane Katrina, tate Sen. Tom Schedler, R-Mandeville, said Tuesday at 1 p.m. Calling the devastation “total”, Schedler said, only slabs remain where dozens of houses were blown down and several feet of water remain in the Slidell Memorial Hospital on Gause Boulevard as well as throughout the old town area off U.S. 11.

Slidell is a suburban community of about 25,000 people northeast of New Orleans near where Interstates 10, 12 and 59 intersect in St. Tammany Parish.

Schedler was interviewed after being briefed at the state Office of Emergency Preparedness. He said he could not return to his district.

“Slidell is as bad as New Orleans east and some other areas in St. Bernard Parish,” Schedler said. “It’s a problem that will be with us for months and years.”

State Police Troop L evacuated its Slidell headquarters during the storm, set up a temporary command in a fire department, then had to flee that center, he said.

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2643. SLIDELL - all current info i know of by lsugirl777, 8/30/05 11:01 ET this is everything that I have heard so far. between first hand accounts from people in slidell and someone who works for WWL - i think its all accurate: -twin spans DESTROYED-water tower on Gause FELL-roof of Applebee's off-roof of Northshore Hospital off and flooding-flooding up to chest on Old Spanish Trail-Lake Ponchatrain "doesn't end until" Old Spanish Trail-Roofs blown off all down Ponchatrain Dr.-Bayou Liberty under water -Gause flooded starting at Slidell High-Racetrack on Gause caught fire -Bowling USA half gone-tornado spotted on Old Spanish Trail-"older" schools destroyed-windows blown out and flooding at SMH-Olde Towne flooded-severe flooding down Old Spanish Trail (up to the rooftops)-alligators and snakes in the water -severe damage to Eden Isles/Oak Harbor/Lakeshore Dr.-dead bodies in Eden Isles (hopefully that is not true)-minimal flooding in Audobon (a friend of mine went back to his house and said no flooding)-Rigoles torn apart I know this news is tough but with a good sense of community we can get through this. Luckily we have the losses in New Orleans to lean on and we have the support of the whole nation. I know it's hard not having news coverage but from what i've heard- you don't want to see it. I heard from 2 people that they weren't showing footage because it was too "traumatic". Everyone just sit still where you are, spend this time with your families - after this we should see that time together is precious. There will be plenty of time to assess damage once we are allowed back in town. Just everyone continue praying and looking for family members.

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2627. Slidell,Eden Isles,Huntwyck,Fremeaux Ave,HWY11,Military RD, by helpnet, 8/30/05 10:51 ET Found this on a NOLA blog. Does anyone know if FEMA has done a flyover..and the results? Can't find anything from their website. 2528. Slidell, Eden Isles by aboveboard, 8/30/05 8:52 ET Okay, 1St, THANK GOD most people evacuated are safe!!

At 1:30am I spoke with a St. Tammany sheriffs officer after trying for two days. There is no communication in St. Tammany at all. He snuck to Holden, LA and was able to use a phone from there.

The twinn spans look like a set of stairs, impassible both directions. Pretty much all of St. Bernard is flooded and damaged. Our dispatcher in Chalmette called in at 0700 and reported some shed damage and rain. At 1100 he was on his rooftop awaiting rescue since the water rose to the soffit and facia.

Slidell had 175mph wind gusts, Eden Isles had 20-25' of tidal surge on top of high tide and rain. Reports of extensive roof losses. Slidell was getting 18" of rain per hour at impact. There is no media coverage because noone can get near...conditions are still too bad. Lake Pontchartrain made its way to Fremeaux ave. OST Monday night still had 6' of water...believed to have had 10' of water both sides of Pontchartrain drive at Taco Tico, Tammany Mall. China Buffet, old Pitt Grill,(OST) at the interstate had water to it's roof. Hwy 11 cannot be seen...road or bridge. Military rd has 6' of water.

Not all of Slidell was damaged...Huntwyck, hwy 190 Maris Stella okay, many other parts as well. Alot of mayham but alot of Slidell did make it okay. The areas that did get it, got it bad.

Noone allowed back in for 2-3 days, could take 2 months to restore power. Part of SMH's roof damaged, Outback was on fire. Several tornados reported around Slidell. Most damage is south of I-12. Our home is gone.

Lets pray that it was only rising water at houses and not a lot of wind damage. Some may be able to recover more with just water damage. Law enforcement should be able to assess quite a bit on tuesday as the water subsides. Several calls for rescue but unable to reach them.

I don't mean to be gloom and gloom, but I am passing info along as passed to me.

Once again, we are alive. I fear some are not. We spent the day on Sunday on the phone while evacuating begging friends that were stubborn to leave.

Cell phone use is sporatic at best, but not in Slidell area. Text works somtimes when phone won't.

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WWLTV.com Slidell suffers extensive flood damage; Mandeville, Covington wind damage, power loss

Below is a status report from the emergency operations center. Public health and safety are our priorities.

“Our first priority is to clear major roads so that FEMA and other agencies can reach us with water, food & shelter. A 24/7 curfew is in place. Stay in your homes. It is not safe to be on the streets. Violators are subject to arrest. If you evacuated, DO NOT RETURN. St. Tammany Parish is closed. Do not attempt to cross St. Tammany Parish to reach other areas. Make safety your first priority. Please obey the instructions below regarding water and other public health and safety issues. Please be patient. We are beginning recovery operations.”

Sheriff Jack Strain continues to oversee the recovery effort and has urged citizens in the area to stay where they are unless travel is absolutely necessary.

“Our deputies are fully mobilized and working around the clock to restore a safe environment,” the sheriff said. “We need the full cooperation of every citizen in respecting the curfew, cooperating with emergency responders, and putting safety first. Residents who remain in St. Tammany Parish should stay where they are until instructed that the parish is safe for movement. Those who evacuated should stay out of the parish while we continue the early phases of this recovery effort.”

1- Stay at home. Do not enter the streets. A 24-hour curfew is in effect. Violators are subject to arrest.

2- Drink only bottled water OR water that has been at a full boil for at least one minute. Do not drink or cook with any water that has not been disinfected.

3- Stay out of flood waters. If you live in a high water area with central sewerage, sewage will be in the water. Stay out of ALL flood waters.

We are working with the State Office of Emergency Preparedness and FEMA to bring water, food and fuel for emergency responders into the parish. We are working with the Red Cross to establish temporary shelters.

CLECO & WST crews and the St. Tammany Parish Department of Public Works are working to clear major roads to allow FEMA to enter parish. 750 line and trimming crews are in-route. All parts & equipment for repair are in-route. Thousands of poles are down. Major damage parish-wide. Emphasis will be to restore emergency & medical sites first. Gas line breaks were wide-spread. Gas companies are working.

The 9-1-1 grid is not operational as of this morning. Work is underway to restore the grid and all land-line communications. No report on cell towers at this time.

Lake waters are beginning to recede. The City has experienced major flooding from Gause Boulevard south. There is major tree and power-line damage city-wide. All major arterial roads are impassable.

Flood waters reached to Monroe Street. There is NO ACCESS to Lakefront. The City is beginning the clearing process.

The Parish is sending emergency crews to contact areas that have not sent reports to the EOC.

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WBRZ (Channel 2) Baton Rouge TV : http://media1.dfw.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate/08302005-5.high.asx - Paste this link into Windows Media Player (or other video player) under File > Open URL.

Baton Rouge Advocate: http://www.2theadvocate.com/ - Has lots of videos & photos

NOLA dot COM St. Tammany Forums: http://www.nola.com/forums/sttamtownhall/index.ssf

WWL (Channel 4) TV : http://www.wwltv.com - In particular check out the WWL Katrina BLOG by Tom Planchet for the latest up-to-the-minute news - http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG.ac3fcea.html

Repeat!!!!!
BOLO!!!!

NEED TO DISCOVER STATUS OF FAMILY MEMBER, WHO RESIDES ON DONYA STREET, SLIDELL.

SHE WAS ON THE PHONE WITH HER BROTHER IN LAW WHEN SHE SCREAMED THE ROOF WAS LIFTING OFF AND THERE WERE MORE SCREAMS IN THE BACKGROUND AND THEN THE PHONE WENT DEAD.

We are her cousins in MIAMI FL and we just got our power back a few hours ago! (Freeper, ExSoldier) and family just returned home from a short stay on the West coast of Florida (the heat was killing pups and wife)

Her mother is out of her mind with worry. But she is pretty isolated in Lake City, Florida.

Husband Dave is a sheriff's reserve officer with the St TAMMANY Parish dept. We need a disposition on him and of course on the kids, son (9) and daughter (15) and the Dog, if possible.

Anybody who can help, PLEASE send me freep mail. So many others have helped with links to news stories from Slidell, but we need a look (or a report) at DONYA STREET specifically. EYES ON THE GROUND, so to speak.
20 posted on 08/30/2005 11:13:54 PM EDT by ExSoldier (

Shelly Haber and Vicky Pete rest under a tree in the Eden Isles subdivision Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005, waiting for a ride in Slidell, LA. The pair rode out Hurricane Katrina in their home.

An apartment building destroyed by Hurricane Katrina is seen Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005, in Slidell, La.

Damaged homes caused by Hurricane Katrina are shown in the Oak Harbor subdivision in Slidell, La., Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005.

Guy Buras takes a shower in a destroyed fish camp off Highway 11 in Slidell, La., Tuesday Aug. 30, 2005, after riding out Hurricane Katrina in his apartment.

Albert White walks through the streets of Slidell, La., Tuesday Aug. 30, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city many miles inland from Lake Pontchartrain

The scene from south Slidell: High water and devastation

By Chris Kirkham
St. Tammany bureau

Slidell Police and emergency officials continued to mop up Tuesday
after the devastating flooding that overwhelmed much of the southern half of Slidell following the glancing blow from Hurricane
Katrina’s eye wall.

Entire neighborhoods in low-lying areas were under
more than seven feet of water, leaving many families trapped in attics or on second floors.
Slidell Police and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies have
been combing through neighborhoods hit by the flooding since after the strongest winds
ceased Monday afternoon, said Capt. Rob Callahan, a Slidell Police spokesman.

Police had rescued more than 100 people as of Tuesday afternoon, he
said, none of whom were injured.

At the height of the storm Monday, major flooding extended from Lake Pontchartrain through Olde Towne and up to Fremaux Avenue

But by Tuesday afternoon, much of the
flood water had receded from neighborhoods closest to the lake such as Oak Harbor and Eden Isles. Many portions of Pontchartrain
Drive and its adjoining neighborhoods still were beneath at least three
feet of water.

Callahan said he expects Slidell Police to be wrapping up the boat
rescue efforts by Thursday. Though no fatalities have been reported as of yet, Callahan said there was a likely possibility police would come across some in the next few weeks.

“The hardest part is going to be going back later on and finding the
casualties, although I hope there are none,” Callahan said. “Until the water recedes, we can’t get to those bodies.”

Those plucked from rooftops and attics by boat were taken in dump
trucks to the Founders Building at Slidell Memorial Hospital, Callahan said, where food was being made available.

Callahan said Katrina packed the hardest punch Slidell ever has seen.
“Imagine your worst nightmare and quadruple that times 100,” he said.

Storm surges that ripped through the Oak Harbor and Eden Isles
subdivisions Monday left portions of the area under more than 10 feet of water, but the receded waters Tuesday left behind evidence of the roaring winds that hit the area. Some houses stood with only minor roof and shingle damage, but closer to the lake there was more serious structural damage as chunks of roof
were sent flying through the air and decks were demolished.

Several of the older bars and businesses on Pontchartrain Drive near
the Oak Harbor entrance were reduced to piles of rubble.

“These are bars that we all went to, and now they’re just gone,” said
Chad Lowe, 27, who had just walked more than four miles through Oak Harbor to survey damage at his home and much of the area.
“It’s unthinkable. A lot of this area is just absolutely destroyed.”

Close to the lake near Oak Harbor Marina, boats were suspended on
levees and tossed to the sides of roads. A catamaran was resting on a damaged portion of the twin spans and several other boats dotted I-10 south of Old Spanish Trail.

Serge Celestin, who rode out the storm at his house on Pebble Beach
Drive in Eden Isles, spent most of the storm in his attic to avoid the rising waters. Cars in his
garage came crashing into his walls as the rising water carried them afloat. Portions of his roof
were ripped off, leaving him a view of storm surges inundating Interstate 10.

“I couldn’t tell what I was looking at,” Celestin said. “The interstate, the bridge, the lake. They
were all one.”

Rescue efforts on Tuesday continued in the Pinehurst and Kingspoint
subdivisions south of Fremaux Avenue, where Sheriff’s Office officials used Wildlife and Fisheries boats to rescue residents trapped in attics and on second stories. Waters toppled over the levees surrounding the neighborhood after the worst of the storm passed Monday, leaving some houses beneath
almost eight feet of water.

Arnold Angelo, whose house had water halfway up the garage, braved the
winds Monday afternoon to rescue 19 people and bring them to safety at a neighbor’s
two-story house. He continued patrolling the neighborhood into Tuesday night,
dodging mailboxes, stop signs and submerged cars that were barely
visible beneath the high waters.

Many of the people he saw trapped preferred to ride out the high water
rather than face the uncertainty of leaving their pets and homes behind. Several of the trapped residents Angelo saw had posted signs outside
their homes saying “No food,
no water” or “Help!”

“It’s a shame people had to go through this, but I’m one of the lucky
ones because I’ve got a
boat,” he said.

Slidell Mayor Ben Morris estimated that 75 percent of homes in Slidell
sustained some kind of damage. Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrived Tuesday morning, Callahan said.

He cautioned residents not to return to the city, saying many roads are
still completely blocked off
by fallen trees. All entrances to the city are being blocked off by state troopers, who
will check driver’s licenses
to make sure only residents are trying to enter the city.

(Staff writer Paul Bartels contributed to this report.)

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