If you live in Terrebonne, here is what to do High School at 1 Reservation Court in Gray. Residents who need transporta tion can either drive there or be picked up by buses throughout the parish’s ma jor streets. Once there, residents and their pets will be entered into the par ish’s evacuation registration system and bused to a Monroe shelter. No prior signup is required. If you need assistance getting to the pickup point, offi cials ask that you reg ister in advance with the Terrebonne Council on Aging at 8688411. Residents are encouraged to take their pets with them during an evacuation. Before an emergency, owners should get a pet carrier, vaccinate their pets yearly, provide identifi cation for their animals and take clear photos of their pets. Pet owners should also have an emergency kit containing food, water, medications, important documents and toys.
Dan Copp Houma Courier-Thibodaux Daily Comet USA TODAY NETWORK
Last year’s Atlantic hurricane season was one for the record books. Not only did the HoumaThibodaux area feel the eff ects of seven named storms, though all spared the area wide spread or catastrophic damage, the CO VID19 outbreak also brought new chal lenges into the fold. Forecasters have predicted another active storm season this year, and the pandemic drags on. Terrebonne Emergency Prepared ness Director Earl Eues said the best de fense against both threats is to expect the unexpected. “We’re going to provide shelter as we always do during storms,” he said. “With the COVID situation we will make sure people are socially distancing and we will have masks available just to be cau tious so we don’t have any issues in the shelters.” Eues also encouraged residents to roll up their sleeves and get the corona virus vaccine if they haven’t already. “My recommendation is if you think you’re going to need to use public shelter you should probably look to get a vac cine,” he said. Like previous storm seasons, Eues encourages residents to visit the Terre bonne Offi ce of Emergency Prepared ness’ Facebook page and follow the agency on Twitter @TOHSEP. Connect with Terrebonne’s 911’s Facebook page as well. In the event of a storm, offi cials will provide timely updates and break ing information. Terrebonne Parish will also issue se vere weather alerts to mobile devices. To register, visit tohsep.com/terrebon nealert. Residents can create free online profi les so fi rst responders can help them during an emergency. Visit smart911.com. Name, phone number and email address are required to create a profi le, but users can enter other information such as age, fl oor plans and the names of family mem bers. When dialing 911, information from the profi le appears on the calltaker’s screen.
About evacuations A joint command team comprised of
Returning home
Randall Bordelon, right, looks around the kitchen in his fi shing camp near Chauvin on Oct. 29, 2020, less than 24 hours after Hurricane Zeta destroyed the roof. The strong Category 2 hurricane made landfall the night before in Cocodrie. CHRIS GRANGER/AP
Eues, the parish president, sheriff and School Board offi cials monitors storms as they enter the Gulf of Mexico. The team decides on closures and evacua tions and works with emergency offi cials to prepare for potential problems. Residents are urged to create a per sonal evacuation plan and remember traffi c across the state will change due to largescale evacuations, Eues said. Families should come up with an evacu ation route ahead of time and a place where they can meet if they become
separated. For storms weaker than a Category 2 hurricane, offi cials will open a shelter somewhere in the parish. Those possible shelters include Gibson and Schriever recreation centers, Schriever Elementary, Dumas Auditori um and Evergreen Junior High.
Business owners who want to return to Terrebonne to assess damage and make repairs must obtain an early re entry permit from the Offi ce of Emer gency Preparedness. To register, visit parishreentry.com and select “Terre bonne.” For information, call 8736357. A ma jor storm that causes a lot of damage, in cluding downed power lines and scat tered debris, could prevent residents from returning for several days or even weeks. Residents without early entry passes are usually not allowed to return until evacuation orders are lifted by the parish president. Though the coronavi rus outbreak complicates hurricane season, Eues encouraged residents to evacuate when the need arises. Eues said now is the time to prepare, not in the middle of hurricane season. “I would remind residents to look over their evacuation plans and emer gency kits to make sure there are enough supplies,” he said. “Make sure you have enough water. We may have an active hurricane season, but it only takes one storm to aff ect our area in or der for it to be a bad season.”
Stronger storms If Terrebonne is threatened by a Cat egory 3 or higher, a parishwide pickup point will be organized at H.L. Bourgeois
Staff writer Dan Copp can be reached at 4487639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp.
