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

Hurricane Katrina was a heavy blow to our community. We are temporarily unable to publish your Sentry-News. We will try to keep this Web site updated with your comments in our Guestbook and any news, such as the St. Tammany Parish update below.

If you have a story or photos to share, and have the ability to send them, please forward them to our sister newspaper in North Carolina - the Daily Herald. Address them to johnmoeur@rrdailyherald.com. They will post them on the site as soon as possible. This includes any messages you might have for loved ones, or names of people you are trying to reach.
We know this isn't the perfect method of communication but it is a start.

We are confident that our community will rebuild and be even better in the future. For now, our prayers are with you and all our neighbors, and our hopes are for better days ahead.

The Sidell Sentry-News staff

St. Tammany Parish Emergency Operations Center Parish Status Update

Statement from Parish President Kevin Davis:

Tuesday, August 30, 2005 2:00 PM Contact PIO desk at Emergency Center @ 985-898-2860
IF YOU HAVE EVACUATED ST. TAMMANY PARISH, DO NOT RETURN UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE PARISH IS CLOSED.

Citizen actions needed:

1- Stay at home. SIGHTSEEING IS FORBIDDEN. Do not enter the streets. A curfew is in place from 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Violators are subject to arrest.

2- Drink only bottled water OR water that has been at a full boil for at least ten minutes. Do not drink or cook with any water that has not been disinfected. If you have any doubts, do not drink the water.

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.

Reports:

Emergency Operations:

We are working with the State Office of Emergency Preparedness and FEMA to bring water, food and fuel for emergency responders into the parish. Help is on the way. We are working with the Red Cross to establish temporary shelters. We will release information about distribution centers as soon as locations are ready.

Roads & Power:

CLECO & WST crews and the St. Tammany Parish Department of Public Works are clearing major roads to allow FEMA to enter parish. 200 line and trimming crews are beginning work. 550 additional personnel were in-route as of Noon. 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.

9-1-1 & Telephone:

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.

The North span of the Causeway is open to Emergency Vehicles ONLY.

The Twin Span is closed in both directions. Sections of the bridge missing.

According to the latest Red Cross figures, 5,400 persons were sheltered in St. Tammany, Washington and Tangipahoa Parishes. This number is fluctuating..

City of Slidell:

Lake waters are beginning to recede. Water is still standing from Fremaux Avenue southward. The City of Slidell Police Department and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's office are using boats to rescue citizens stranded by flood water. The City experienced major flooding from Gause Boulevard south. STAY OUT OF THE PARISH. There is major tree and power-line damage city-wide. All major arterial roads are impassable.

City of Mandeville:

Flood waters reached to Monroe Street. There are no utilities in the City. There is NO ACCESS south of Hwy 190. The City is in the clearing process.

Town of Folsom:

Trees down, all utilities out. No flooding reported at this time.

Town of Abita Springs:

Trees down, all utilities out. No flooding reported at this time.

Town of Madisonville:

Trees down, all utilities out. Majority of building had some flooding.

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

St. Tammany Parish School Board: All schools are closed until further notice.

Media Advisory -- Alert to Pet Owners in Slidell, La.: Come to Heritage Park to Claim Rescued Animals or Report Stranded Pets
Saturday September 3, 6:16 pm ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Noah's Wish, a not-for-profit organization that works exclusively to rescue and shelter animals in disasters, is rescuing animals from evacuated homes in Slidell, Louisiana. The pets are being housed at a temporary animal shelter and Noah's Wish is working with Slidell Animal Control to coordinate the rescue of hundreds of abandoned and stranded pets in the city of Slidell. The Animal Control building sustained extensive damage during Hurricane Katrina. Noah's Wish staff and volunteers on the ground do not have phone, cell phone or web access at this time and are unable to communicate outside the Slidell area. Noah's Wish is asking that pet owners from Slidell not call or send email, as communication is limited. Pet owners who live in Slidell need to come to Heritage Park to report a lost or stranded pet. Noah's Wish staff will be at Heritage Park from 8am to 7pm every day for at least the next 3 weeks. Pet owners must come in person to determine if their pet is at the shelter, as the number of pets being rescued is expected to reach the hundreds.
ADVERTISEMENT

This temporary shelter will have the ability to house hundreds of animals. Trained Noah's Wish volunteers, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians will work around the clock to provide medical services, care and much-needed love and affection to these traumatized animals. Pet owners may pick up food and supplies from Noah's Wish volunteers in Heritage Park. Donations of pet food, blankets, dog kennels etc. may be left at Heritage Park.

``Yesterday, we found a Chihuahua sitting in a kitchen sink,'' said Terri Crisp, Founder and Director of Noah's Wish. ``The waters in the house rose so high, the poor little guy got swept into the sink, where he remained when the waters receded.'' The Chihuahua was taken to the temporary animal shelter where he was checked by a veterinarian and provided food, water and a much-needed warm bed. All animals coming into the shelter will be tracked and Noah's Wish hopes to be able to reunite owners with their four-legged family members.

``Noah's Wish exists to help people as much as we do pets,'' says Crisp. ``Temporary shelter for pets will be offered to residents who lost their homes and are unable to keep their animals with them in shelters or hotels.'' Noah's Wish also cares for wildlife. Yesterday, a baby squirrel was found among the rubble and was fed every four hours overnight by a volunteer. Trained Noah's Wish volunteers from around the country are taking time off work and paying their own expenses to travel to Louisiana to assist with pet rescue.

Donations are desperately needed and can be made at http://www.noahswish.org. Donations go directly to help the animals of this disaster and cash is preferred as it allows the organization to purchase the supplies needed. Questions should be emailed to info@noahswish.org or a message can be left at 530-622-9313.

http://www.noahswish.org

Noah's Wish is a 501 c3 not-for-profit organization based in Placerville, California (near Sacramento). Donations may be mailed to Noah's Wish P.O. Box 997 Placerville, CA 95667

Reporters from news organizations can call Patricia Jones 347-306-2442 for interviews. Only messages from the media to this line can be returned.

All public inquiries/requests for assistance should be directed to info@noahswish.org or call 530-622-9313

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