State and Federal Authorities Prepare as Gustav Approaches Gulf Coast

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency and asked President Bush to declare a federal disaster for Louisiana as the state prepares for the landfall of Hurricane Gustav. The National Weather Service projects the hurricane will strike the eastern coastal parishes of Louisiana coast early next week.

Jindal will also meet with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff today and visit the Joint Field Office (JFO) to discuss tropical storm Gustav preparations.

The Secretary will also travel this afternoon to New Orleans, where he and Jindal will visit the emergency operations center and discuss coordination and preparations with Mayor Ray Nagin. FEMA Administrator David Paulison is already in the region and will join the Secretary and local officials in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, according to DHS spokesman Russ Knocke.

Yesterday, Secretary Chertoff spoke with Governor Jindal, U.S. Northern Command General Victor Renuart and American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern on federal activity in support of local efforts as tropic storm Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast.

"We continue to remind Gulf Coast residents about the importance of taking precautionary measures to prepare for an emergency situation or evacuation before Gustav approaches our shores," Knocke said in a statement. He encouraged citizens to get an emergency supply kit, make an emergency plan, and to be informed about what to do if tropical storm Gustav gains strength, turns into a hurricane, and heads in their direction.

Jindal has directed the execution of the state's emergency plan. As part of implementing the plan, the Louisana Department of Transportation is providing 700 buses to evacuate people and pets from the at risk areas, state police are managing contra-flow evacuation routes, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry is prepared to activate pet shelters and the Department of Social Services is prepared to execute its shelter plan, while Department of Health and Hospitals has executed its emergency evacuation plan and is requesting ambulances and the Department of Corrections will be relocating prisoners from at-risk areas tomorrow.

Jindal has also activated 3,000 Louisiana National Guardsmen to perform missions including logistics, security, assistance with contra-flow traffic management and search and rescue operations. The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has activated its Emergency Operations Center at a Level 3 and a FEMA warm cell is currently located at the JFO in Baton Rouge and is assisting the state in preparations for Hurricane Gustav.

Additionally, the city of New Orleans has made preparations to execute its city evacuation plan, which includes an additional 130 buses.

"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. I request that federal resources be activated to assist with the evaluation of the incident and sheltering operations," the governor said in his letter to President Bush.

"I am specifically requesting Public Assistance Category B Emergency Protective Measures to include Direct Federal Assistance statewide to address risk and host parish actions," he continued.

Jindal has designated Mark Cooper as the governor's authorized representative (GAR) and Fred Palmer as the alternate GAR. I have designated Mark Riley as the state coordinating officer (SCO) and Mark DeBosier as the alternate SCO for this request. Messrs. Cooper, Palmer, Riley and DeBosier will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.

Earlier this month, the Bush and Jindal Administrations agreed to an extended payment period for the state's share of hurricane protection work currently underway. Specifically, the state of Louisiana will be provided a period of up to 30 years over which they can pay the federal government for the state's share of the costs for the levee construction.

"This development will have an important and positive impact on the ongoing progress of our joint efforts to provide comprehensive hurricane protection for metropolitan New Orleans by 2011," Major General Douglas O'Dell, the coordinator of federal support for the recovery and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, said.