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Talk of the Town

VIEW UPDATE

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BREAKING WX 6pm 8-28-08 Shreveport Prepares for Possible Gustav Evacuees from New Orleans
Friday, Aug 29, 2008 3:13am

SHREVEPORT, LA (By: Tom Pace, Executive Editor, Talk of the Town) BREAKING WX: 6pm 8-28-08 Shreveport-Bossier and northwest Louisiana are better prepared to help in housing evacuees and their pets, should Tropical Storm Gustav become a major hurricane and strike New Orleans or the Louisiana coastline. That reassurance came Thursday, August 28th from Sandy Davis, Director of Homeland Security for Northwest Louisiana's Office of Emergency Preparedness.

(Click here for Mayor Cedric Glover's press conference about emergency preparations for Gustav: recorded by Tom Pace "Talk of the Town." ) Mayor Glover was also accompanied by Shreveport Police Chief Henry Whitehorn, and Shreveport Fire Chief Brian Crawford.

Davis told the media he is in touch with the Governor's office in Baton Rouge on a 24/7 basis. The Director of Homeland Security for Northwest Louisiana told us that on average, during Katrina, there were about 35,000 evacuees housed daily across the northwest Louisiana area

Chief Whitehorn reminded the reporters that 1.2 million people were evacuated from New Orleans and south Louisiana from Hurricane Katrina nearly three years to the day, back in 2005.

Crawford said his EMS teams are ready to assist, should medical needs arise. The Shreveport Fire Chief also said, like in the Katrina event, that his department would also provide emergency personnel for south Louisiana if requested.

As it stands today, Governor Jindal is telling the nation that the state of Louisiana is much more ready to react to a major hurricane disaster.

Editor's note:
"But, hopefully, this may only be a drill, and not the real thing. Only time will tell. More news Friday." Tom Pace