C2/Hurricane

C2 AMERICAN PRESS Thursday, June 1, 2017 watch 2017 edition

Always prepared Are we better prepared today? in Cameron Parish: Did make a difference in how we prepare? A cultural mindset

By Rita LeBleu [email protected] The American Press asked Cameron Parish Port, Harbor and Terminal Distric Director Claire Marceaux how the devastation of Hurricane Rita might have height- ened her level of preparedness for another major hurricane.

“People in Cameron Parish The only thing left of this have always taken hurricane home in Cameron Parish is a vehicle and debris. preparedness seriously,” Marceaux said.

American Press Archives “I’m 39 and I know it’s been drilled into my generation by the By Rita LeBleu changed their level of prepared- Each hurricane season she stocks knocking out the power and that people who lived through Audrey [email protected] ness. plenty of food and water. She pur- same wind can send a tree crashing or were born just after Audrey to More than one person admitted chased two generators and recently through the roof.” pay attention to storms that pop up The National Oceanic and Atmo- all year, not just during hurricane spheric Administration forecasts they continue to be a fly-by-the- purchased a third for the hurricane Debit cards, cash registers and seat-of-your-pants kind of person. season. She has more flashlights ATMs are powered by electricity season. You’ve got to be ready, all 2 to 4 hurricanes for the Atlantic, the time.” and Vickie Cole Fontenot isn’t. She has than she can count and plenty of and if someone had cash to spend her bags packed, gas for the genera- batteries. during Hurricane Rita, there was Hurricane Audrey was one of the this year. deadliest hurricanes to ever strike Here’s the NOAA forecast for tor and a bucket of MREs. Dick Gremillion, Director of nowhere to spend it. Grocery stores “I keep my on the weather the Office of Homeland Security and convenience stores were closed. the U.S. Over 500 people were killed. June through November by the Marceaux’s grandparents moved numbers: 11 to 17 named tropical and a weather alert app on my and Emergency Preparedness said, “If people are serious about rid- iPad,” Fontenot said. “My gas stays “Often people think they are more ing it out, it is important that they to Cameron from Lafayette a few storms will develop, according to years before Hurricane Audrey. Her NOAA’s full in both cars.” prepared than they are.” are really prepared,” Gremillion Danny Rainwater, who lived After Hurricane Rita many ar- said, “to think through the risk that grandfather worked for Superior website. Storms are named once Oil. Even though Hurricane Audrey in DeQuincy during Hurricane eas were without electricity, some staying involves for them and for winds reach 39 miles per hour. picked up speed and made Rita and now lives in Bilxoi, about for almost two weeks. their family. Once winds get up to 5 to 9 of these storms could much earlier than anticipated, her 10 miles from the Gulf, said he’ll “If some of the people who evac- tropical force, there won’t be any become hurricanes, which means grandparents, the six children and heed any evacuation instructions uated would have stayed, would emergency medical personnel or winds could reach 74 miles per the family dog were safely inland and has started stocking water, they really have been prepared to services available.” hour or more. due to the early urging of Superior canned foods and flash lights for live without power for that length “If we are asking people to 2 to 4 of these could become Oil management. the season. He’ll need those when of time?” he asked. evacuate, we feel their lives are major hurricanes. A major hurri- Her grandparents’ neighbors, he returns. Gremillion said that more people cane has wind speeds of 111 miles in danger and we won’t ask un- also a family of eight with a dog per hour or more. Hurricane Rita, Frankie Travis’s family kids her in the area have generators today less there is a Cat 3 or above. Have from the same litter, all drowned. September 24, 2005, had winds of that it is her level of preparedness because of power outages experi- an evacuation plan. Know where “Seeing that loss of life means about 120 mph. that has staved off another major enced during Hurricane Rita. you’re going. Plan as you would for that every storm after has been Are you prepared in the event hurricane. After Hurricane Rita, “Yes, that will keep your refrig- a 10-day trip. And have a good com- taken just as seriously,” Mareaux of another major hurricane? The she purchased a pod and strapped erator going,” Gremillion said. munication plan so everyone in the said. “It’s a cultural mindset. American Press contacted a few it down tight. In it is everything “But we need to remember that it family will now where everyone is people to find out if Hurricane Rita needed to ride out the hurricane. was the wind that is responsible for and how to get in touch.” Entergy Is Storm Ready for the 2017 Hurricane Season Planning tips, communication tools available so customers can be prepared

BATON ROUGE, La. – June Staying storm ready is a status of power at their home or 1 marks the official start of year-round effort, and it begins business. the 2017 hurricane season, and with monitoring weather sys- Entergy Louisiana employees tems around the clock, every · Entergy’s View are ready to respond if a major day of the year. When there’s Outages website includes maps storm threatens the state. a weather threat, Entergy that show where outages are Forecasts predict any- uses weather forecasts and located and give information where from a near-average to computer models based on about restoration progress. an above-average number of experience with past storms to storms this hurricane season, predict an estimated number · Entergy sends and can but it only takes one major and duration of outages that receive text messages about storm reaching the Gulf Coast could occur. Based on those storm and restoration efforts. to upend lives. estimates, Entergy will call Customers can sign up by texting “No matter what the fore- on restoration workers from REG to 368374. casters say, we know a hur- around the country to get the · The Entergy Storm ricane making landfall along power back on as safely and Center website has storm safety, the Gulf Coast is always a quickly as possible. possibility. It’s why we main- preparation and restoration tain a constant focus on being Stay Prepared and information that is updated prepared for major weather Informed throughout the day. events and invest to improve “Entergy is ready and the reliability of our electrical · Operation: Storm Ready is a free encourages customers to be system,” said Dennis Dawsey, downloadable guide that helps prepared as well,” Dawsey vice president of customer customers plan and prepare for service in Louisiana. said. “Whether it is making weather emergencies. an emergency plan, creating Social media plays an an emergency supply kit, or Planning Remains Key important role in keeping purchasing gear needed to to Restoration customers informed, and weather a storm, the best time “We’re among the best Entergy Louisiana places a to prepare is now.” in the industry in getting high priority on keeping its Just as important as restor- the power restored as safely social media sites updated ing power is the company’s and quickly as possible after throughout an event. Follow ability to keep customers customers and natural gas service Entergy Corporation is an inte- ating capacity, including nearly 9,000 severe storms. We’re success- Entergy Louisiana on Twitter informed. Entergy does this in to more than 93,000 customers in grated energy company engaged megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy ful because we rely upon a at @EntergyLA and on a number of ways: the greater Baton Rouge area. With primarily in electric power produc- delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility plan we call Operation Storm Facebook at facebook.com/ Ready that involves continu- · An app is available for iPhone EntergyLA. operations in southern, central tion and retail distribution opera- customers in , Louisiana, ous preparation and training or Android at entergy.com/app/. ——————————————— and northeastern Louisiana, the tions. Entergy owns and operates and . Entergy has an- for everyone in our company,” Customers can use the app to Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides company is a subsidiary of Entergy power plants with approximately nual revenues of approximately $10.8 Dawsey said. report outages or check on the electric service to more than 1 million Corporation. 30,000 megawatts of electric gener- billion and nearly 13,000 employees.

UP-CYCLED Make-shift tarps from billboard signs cover this house in Lake Charles not long after the roof was damaged from Hurricane Rita. American Press Archives The most complete hardware

& lumber dealer in SWLA 00997862 • Residential • Commercial • Industrial Home • Auto Business Insurance • Life • Health Monica Squibb Stephanie Wells 435 E. Napoleon St. • Sulphur 4028 Maplewood Dr. 502 E. College St. Sulphur, LA Lake Charles, LA 527-5287 625-7090 474-7040 00997854