Gov. Bobby Jindal has requested federal aid in preparation for Hurricane Ike’s landfall.Jindal declared a state of emergency Sunday, according to Governor’s Office news releases. The state of emergency started Saturday and extends through Oct. 5, unless ended sooner.”I request that you declare an emergency disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Ike effective September 7, 2008,” Jindal wrote President Bush in his request Sunday. “I anticipate that the effects of the storm will overwhelm the capability of state resources and it is necessary that critical pre-positioning and other readiness requirements be provided through federal assistance.”State and local preparations include activating a Hurricane Ike Task Force and extending bus contracts to shuttle evacuees. Additionally, FEMA activated the Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge to assist the state in preparations.
Hurricane Ike is projected to make landfall Saturday as a Category 3 hurricane near Galveston, Texas, said Barry Keim, Louisiana state climatologist.The cone of error forecasts the storm making landfall between Mobile, Alabama, and Brownsville, Texas, Keim said. He said the storm could easily turn toward Louisiana. ”It wouldn’t take a big change in the track to bring this thing into Louisiana,” Keim said.