SLIDELL, LA INFORMATION

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.
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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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