Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden declared last Saturday “Red Stick Ready Day” in East Baton Rouge Parish to encourage locals to prepare for the hurricane season.
Red Stick Ready Day took place at the Mall of Louisiana where local, state, federal and private agencies worked together to hand out information, speak with residents, present preparedness tips and give away essential items.
“We learned through experience that the better prepared our citizens are for an emergency situation, the more effectively we can work as a community to stay safe, minimize disruption and recover more quickly,” Holden said. “We want citizens to have an opportunity to talk directly with the first responders, who work to keep them safe during emergencies, and also learn how they can help be a part of our city-parish response.”
Will White, emergency preparedness coordinator with the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, said the even went well, with more than 500 people in attendance.
JoAnne Moreau, director of MOHSEP, said the city has been preparing for hurricane season all year.
“We have segued into hurricane season,” she said. “Every year we stay prepared to make sure we coordinate resources so the community feels the least impact hazards the parish may face. We always prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
MOHSEP is scheduled to train 3,000 children through the YMCA and Big Buddy Program to become Junior Emergency Managers and practice safety precautions.
Ashley Berthelot, media relations officer at the Office of Communications and University Relations, said students need to keep informed about potential weather threats by monitoring local media outlets.
“[Students] should also frequently visit the LSU homepage, watch out for University broadcast messages and, if they haven’t already done so, sign up for the emergency text message system,” Berthelot said.
Berthelot said during severe weather, the University’s Emergency Operations Center closely monitors the situation, making closure decisions on a case-by-case basis.
The 2011 hurricane season is predicted to include 17 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes, according to chief weather forecaster Pat Shingleton at WBRZ News 2 Louisiana.
Currently temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are in the low 80s. In peak hurricane season these temperatures will rise to around 89 degrees. High temperatures will cause weather systems to “spin,” potentially forming hurricanes.
Although hurricane season began at the beginning of this month, Shingleton predicted June will be a mild month for U.S. storms. He said storms will likely be isolated in the Southern Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
In July the U.S. will see more activity as storms migrate from Africa’s coast, he said.
Baton Rouge residents traditionally experience severe weather during the 9-10 week period from late August to early October. Shingleton predicts a similar pattern this year.
“We have been fortunate not to have seen a lot of activity in Baton Rouge over the last few years,” Shingleton said. “But it doesn’t matter how many there are. It only takes one storm to set a community back.”
Helpful links for hurricane prepardness can be found at lsureveille.com.
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Contact Laura Furr at [email protected]