Louisiana has planned for the worst-case scenario during the 2009 hurricane season, says Mark Cooper, director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. GOSHEP, in conjunction with the Red Cross and other states, has increased its capacity for sheltering evacuees to 50,000, up from 37,000 last year, says Cooper, who spoke to the Baton Rouge Press Club today. Of those evacuees, approximately 14,000 can be sheltered in Louisiana, primarily in Shreveport, Alexandria and Monroe. Cooper says another 26,000 can be housed out of state in Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas and Kentucky, with additional space for another 10,000 if necessary. Cooper says FEMA is working with other states to determine if they would be willing to offer shelter as well.
Also new to the state are three type three urban search and rescue teams based in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport, Cooper says. Similar teams in Texas took almost a day to deploy when the Louisiana teams, under the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, could be in a problem area in two to six hours. New initiatives taken up by the state this year include $7.5 million that will be used to upgrade existing facilities and encourage the construction of new multi-purpose buildings that could be used as shelters if necessary, Cooper says. An additional $60 million in hazard mitigation funding will purchase generators for critical care facilities statewide and parish use. — Emma James
