City Of New Orleans Provides Updates On Hurricane Francine Preparations

September 11, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

City Of New Orleans Provides Updates On Hurricane Francine Preparations

The City of New Orleans continues to update residents on Hurricane Francine emergency preparations. Hurricane Francine is expected to make landfall along the Louisiana coast today as a Category 1 hurricane.

Today's press conference can be viewed in two parts at the links below:

• View Part 1 here
• View Part 2 here
• View Spanish translation here

The National Weather Service (NWS) expects the primary impacts from Francine to include heavy rain, high winds and coastal flooding. Isolated tornadoes are also possible. Rainfall totals are currently predicted in the 4-to-8-inch range but could be higher if a rain band results in prolonged heavy rain. NWS predicts the greatest risk for heavy rainfall to continue through tonight. There is potential for damaging wind gusts of 58 to 73 mph, which could cause isolated tree and power line damage resulting in power outages. Moderate to potentially major coastal flooding could occur, with an expected surge of 3 to 5 feet in coastal areas outside the levee system.

• A Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning have been issued for parts of Southern Louisiana; New Orleans is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning and Hurricane Watch
• A Tornado Watch is in effect for Orleans Parish through 11 p.m. Wednesday
• A Storm Surge Warning remains in effect for Lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain and areas outside of levee protection, including Venetian Isles, Lake Catherine and Irish Bayou but does not apply to locations inside the levee system

NOTE: First responders and line crews will not be able to respond when winds exceed 50 mph. Services will resume as soon as winds drop below that mark.

Parking restrictions on neutral grounds and sidewalks are suspended until 6 p.m. on Thursday. Should high winds cause power outages, residents are urged to stay clear of downed power lines and keep generators outside and away from homes.

NEW ORLEANS HEALTH DEPARTMENT (NOHD)

NOHD has been actively monitoring the needs of healthcare and independent living facilities. Currently, 66 out of 67 buildings have shared their emergency plan ahead of the storm, and NOHD is in constant contact with the one building that has not submitted a plan. NOHD will continue to support the Office of Homeless Services and Strategy with outreach as needed. Clinical operations, such as Healthcare for the Homeless, WIC and Healthy Start are suspended as of today.

NEW ORLEANS RECREATION DEVELOPMENT (NORD) COMMISSION and OFFICE OF HOMELESS SERVICES AND STRATEGY (OHSS)

Overnight, New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission hosted 50 people at Rosenwald Recreation Center (1120 S. Broad). OHSS continues supporting shelter operations at NORD's Rosenwald Recreation Center for unsheltered individuals. Traditional emergency shelters have reached capacity and will allow unhoused residents to shelter in place until Thursday, Sept.12. Residents can call 3-1-1 to request transportation assistance to the Rosenwald Recreation Center.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS (DPW)

DPW has been and will continue to clean and unclog catch basins and flush drain lines. Vacuum truck crews have been operating across the city prior to the onset of the severe weather. For ongoing construction projects, DPW is closely monitoring all active sites to ensure they remain secure. Gutter Buddies are in place at job sites to prevent debris from entering the drainage system while allowing water to flow. Residents are reminded not to block intersections, bike paths or streetcar tracks. Regular towing has been suspended, and towing is reserved for emergency/urgent situations requiring tow assistance.   

DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION

Sanitation continues to remove debris and litter from the public rights-of-way ahead of Hurricane Francine. The City of New Orleans has canceled trash and recycling collections for Wednesday, Sept. 11 due to the forecasted impacts of Hurricane Francine. Trash and recycling collections will resume on Thursday, Sept. 12 and will run a day behind schedule for the remainder of the week:

• Trash and recycling collection for Wednesday, Sept. 11 locations will occur on Thursday, Sept. 12
• Trash and recycling collection for Thursday, Sept. 12 locations will occur on Friday, Sept. 13
• Trash and recycling collection for Friday, Sept. 13 location will occur on Saturday, Sept. 14

SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD OF NEW ORLEANS (SWBNO)

Currently, 90 of 99 drainage pumps are operational with 70 megawatts of 25-hertz power available to manage storm-related demands. This system can handle one inch of rainfall in the first hour and a half inch each subsequent hour based on the longstanding rule of thumb for the city's drainage system capacity.     

The pumps at DPS 17 near Florida Ave. and Peoples Ave. in the St. Roch/Desire area are not in service. Those pumps are only used for dry weather flow (groundwater) and do not impact the drainage capacity for this neighborhood. Drainage for St. Roch, Desire and Gentilly is serviced by DPS 19 near Florida Ave. and the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal, which is operating at full capacity.

There are known communication issues with DPS 1, DPS 16 and DPS Grant that are preventing the Pumping and Power dashboard from reflecting the actual pump status. This is not affecting the pumping capacity at these stations. If there is a widespread power outage, there could be further communication issues that would prevent the Pumping and Power dashboard from updating in real time.

Visit the SWBNO Storm Center at www.swbno.org/News/StormCenter for up-to-date information. SWBNO Emergency Hotline remains staffed and available 24/7. Customers can report leaks and other water-related emergencies by calling 52-WATER.

ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS (ENO)

ENO urges customers to stay safe by maintaining a safe distance from utility crews and their work sites. While some tasks, like damage assessments and field switching, can be completed on the ground as the storm moves out, line workers cannot safely use bucket trucks to work on electric equipment until winds decrease to 30 mph or less.

For more information, visit Entergy Storm Center - Stay informed and stay safety aware (entergynewsroom.com) or call 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243).  

NEW ORLEANS REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY (RTA)

RTA began reducing service with the suspension of ferry service on Tuesday at 9 a.m. and streetcar service beginning at 12 p.m. today. RTA will suspend bus service for a complete service shutdown beginning at 3 p.m. today.

The Customer Service Centers remain closed, but Rideline services can still be reached by calling (504) 248-3900. RTA strongly urges the public and all government agencies to avoid obstructing streetcar lines, whether with vehicles parking on the neutral ground or residents clearing debris.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MSY)

Airlines have canceled all flights after noon on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and there have been some additional cancellations reported for the morning of Thursday, Sept. 12. MSY continues to monitor weather conditions and prepare for potential impacts from Hurricane Francine. The Airport will remain open unless conditions become unsafe. Individual airlines determine if and when to cancel flights or resume operations based on weather conditions in the area.

Passengers with travel scheduled in the coming days are advised to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information before coming to the Airport. Airline contact information can be found at www.flymsy.com/airlines.

TIPS FOR RESIDENTS

• Residents are urged to shelter indoors during dangerous storm conditions. Street flooding can be life-threatening.
• Dial 9-1-1 to report major street flooding, and never drive through water on the road. Real-time reports of street flooding can be found at streetwise.nola.gov
• Residents are reminded to avoid downed trees that may have power lines entangled and to dial 3-1-1 to report them
• Residents are encouraged to stay connected by signing up for NOLA Ready emergency text alerts by texting "NOLAREADY" to 77295. To receive this message in Spanish, text "ESP" to 77295.
• If you have medical or mobility concerns, enroll in SMART911 by dialing 3-1-1 or visiting ready.nola.gov.     

TIPS FOR VISITORS

New Orleans & Company continues to monitor Hurricane Francine. Check www.neworleans.com/updates regularly for the latest information from New Orleans & Company.   

Visitors should remember to do the following:    

• Remain informed of the latest forecast    
• Follow City officials' advice to shelter in place on Wednesday, Sept. 11   
• For official updates from the City of New Orleans, visit ready.nola.gov or text NOLAREADY to 77295 for English; for Spanish text alerts, text ESP to 77925   
• Check with your airline and hotel if you have specific questions about reservations or scheduled activities   

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