Hot Seat: Local leaders review response to Tropical Storm Cindy

JULIANA: WELCOME TO THE WDSU
HOTSEAT.
TONIGHT WE TALKING ABOUT HOW THE
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND
JEFFERSON PARISH IT UP DURING
TROPICAL STORM CINDY.
WE'RE JOINED BY JASON WILLIAMS
AND CHRIS ROBERTS.
LET'S START WITH THE JEFFERSON
PARISH, THERE WERE FLOODING AND
A LOAD OF PARTS.
WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO DO
TO GET THESE COMMUNITIES OUT OF
THE FLOOD SITUATION?
>> IT IS AN UNFORTUNATE
SITUATION BECAUSE OF THE LAST
DECADE WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF
WARM THAT HAVE PUSHED WATER INTO
THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO GET AS MANY OF THE
HOMES ELEVATED AS WE CAN.
WE HAVE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO
APPLY FOR THE GRANTS, GO THROUGH
THAT PROCESS SO YOU CAN GET THIS
PROPERTY'S OFF THE GROUND AND
ELEVATED.
WE ARE WORKING ON THE MASTER
PLAN THAT THE MAYOR AND THE CITY
COUNCILMAN HAVE BEEN WORKING
WITH STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS
ON GETTING FUNDED, DESIGNED AND
COMPLETED SO WE CAN PREVENT
WATER FROM GOING INTO THE
STRUCTURES JULIANA: EVEN
JULIANA: DURING SMALL OFFENSE
LIKE A TROPICAL STORM.
JULIANA: OVER IN NEW ORLEANS,
YOU GUYS DID NOT BE AS MUCH
FLOODING.
PUMPING STATIONS REALLY WORKING?
>> THE PLAN WORKED.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE REDUNDANCY IN
OUR SEWER SYSTEM THAN WE EVER
HAVE BEFORE.
WE PRAY FOR THE BEST BUT WE ARE
PREPARED FOR THE WORST AS MY
MOTHER SAID.
PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED AND IT WAS
ANSWERED IN REGARD TO CINDY.
JULIANA: HAVE YOU GUYS WORK
TOGETHER, YOU GUYS COORDINATE
AND WORK TOGETHER?
>> WE LEARNED A LOT OF LESSONS
FROM HURRICANE KATRINA AND WE
VERY RECENTLY HAD THE STORM IN
NEW ORLEANS EAST, A TORNADO THAT
COST A LOT OF QUICK TO DAMAGE.
WE HAD FOLKS FROM ALL OVER THE
STATE, ALL DIFFERENT LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, EMERGENCY
FIRST RESPONDERS WHO WERE THERE
AS FAST AS I WAS ABLE TO GET
THERE FROM DOWNTOWN AREA JUST
LIKE STORMS DON'T KNOW
BOUNDARIES, FIRST RSPONDERS AND
DON'T KNOW BOUNDARIES WHEN THE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE ARE IN
TROUBLE.
JULIANA: HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO
HAVE FIRST RESPONDERS STACKS
24/7.
>> YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT TYPE OF
CHALLENGES YOU'RE GOING TO BE
FACED WITH.
ANYTHING FROM MEDICAL SERVICES
THAT MAY BE NEEDED.
YOU HAVE EXPECTED MOTHERS THEY
GO INTO LABOR.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO HAVE
GAS PUT IN GENERATORS IN ORDER
TO KEEP MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
RUNNING.
YOU HAVE AN EVACUATION WITH THE
NURSING HOME OR ASSISTED LIVING
COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE TO WORK
WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE
POLICE AND THE EMTS TO GET THOSE
PEOPLE EVACUATED.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT WE ARE
PREPARED FOR ABSOLUTELY EVERY
SCENARIO BUT WE HAVE BEEN TESTED
A NUMBER OF TIMES OVER THE LAST
DECADE NOW AND FROM EACH EVENT
YOU LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
YOU CHANGE YOUR PLAN AND TW
WEAK
IT.
THE TORNADOES IN NEW ORLEANS
OF THAT HAPPENED IN BATON ROUGE.
WE WERE THE BENEFICIARY OF SO
MUCH HELP IN 2005 FOLLOWING
HURRICANE KATRINA.
ANY TIME THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO GET BACK, WE HAVE.
AFTER THEY HAD THE TORNADOES IN
OKLAHOMA, I TRAVELED THERE.
WE TRY TO RETURN THOSE SERVICES
THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO HELP
PEOPLE GET BACK IN THE FIELD.
JULIANA: HOW RESILIENT ARE THE
PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES WHEN
SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS?
I WAS OUT IN DIFFERENT AREAS THE
OTHER DAY AND PEOPLE SAID WE ARE
DEALING WITH AND WE ARE THANKFUL
FOR THE HELP.
JULIANA: -- >> NO OTHER PLACE IN
THIS COUNTRY IS GOING TO HAVE A
CITIZENRY MORE PREPARED FOR A
BAD WEATHER EVENT.
WE KNOW HOW QUICKLY THE TYPE CAN
TURN AND HE CAN FIND YOURSELF IN
A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION.
PEOPLE FOLLOW THEIR PLAN.
JULIANA: THERE IS A PLAN IN THE
WORKS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, WHAT
ARE CALLED RING LEVEES AROUND
SOME OF THESE ISLANDS IN LOWER
JEFFERSON PARISH.
>> IT CONSISTS OF AN EA
RTHER
EN
LEVEE THAT IS GOING TO PROTECT
THE BAYOU.
WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE BRAIN
AND THE TITLE SEARCH -- TIDAL
SURGE.
COMMUNITIES SEE THE WATER COME
UP FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO, IT
GETS PUSHED UP OUT OF BY BEARS
AREA -- BAYOU BARATARIA/
.
WITH THE PLANS IN PLACE NOW AND
THE CONSTRUCTION THAT IS
UNDERWAY IN SOME PLACES, WE ARE
PLANNING TO HAVE RING LEVEES
AROUND THOSE COMMUNITIES SO
WATER WILL NOT GET INTO THOSE
AREAS.
IT WOULD HAVE A PERMANANT LEVEE
PROTECTION SYSTEM TO HOLD THE
WATER BACK.
JULIANA: HAS THERE BEEN A COST?
>> IT CHANGES, YET YOU KEEP IN
MIND ALL OF THAT LAND HAS TO BE
ACQUIRED.
SOME OF THESE LEVEES ARE GOING
TO BE CONSTRUCTED ON AREAS
CURRENTLY OWNED BY PRIVATE
PROPERTY OWNERS.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT BETWEEN 60
MILLION TO $100 BILLION RANGE --
MILLION DOLLAR RANGE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF
FLOOD INSURANCE CLAIMS THAT
CONTINUE TO OCCUR YEAR AFTER
YEAR, THAT IS FUNDED BY THE
FEDERAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM,
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CHEAPER TO
BUILD THESE LEVEES 10-15 YEARS
AGO THEN PAY OUT THESE
FLOODPLAINS.
THAT IS THE ARGUMENT WE HAVE
MADE AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE IN
THE SITUATION WHERE WE ARE THE
PROGRESS COME TO FRUITION.
JULIANA: NEW ORLEANS DID NOT SEE
AS MUCH SEVERE FLOODING BUT IT
IS NO STRANGER TO YOU GUYS.
>> I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THE CHAIR OF
PUBLIC WORKS.
WE HAVE A SYSTEM WORKING IN THE
WAY IT HAS NOT WORKED IN A
NUMBER OF YEARS.
THERE A GOOD AMOUNT OF
REDUNDANCY TO MAKE SURE IF
SOMETHING DOES GO DOWN,
SOMETHING THINK AGAIN.
-- SOMETHING WILL KICK IN.
RESIDENTS HELP BY CLEARING OUT
CATCH BASINS.
JULIANA: DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY
COMPLY WHEN YOU SAY CLEAN OUT
YOUR CATCH BASINS.
>> I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE
IMPORTANCE OF IT.
OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN
JEFFERSON, WE CAN PUMP ONE INCH
IN THE FIRST HOUR AND A HALF
INCH EVERY HOUR AFTER THAT.
WE HAD PONDING OCCUR WHEN WE HAD
VERY HEAVY RAINS.
IF YOU GET EIGHT ORIGINAL DOWN
FOR, THE WATER IS GOING TO POND
IN THE STREET.
IF YOUR BATHTUB DRAIN GETS
CLOGGED, THE WATER IS GOING TO
DRAIN A LOT SLOWER.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE
TO REMIND RESIDENTS IT IS
IMPORTANT TO DO THAT.
JULIANA: A JEFFERSON PARISH, THE
PUMPING STATIONS ARE MANNED 2
4/7 AT FEINT HE WAS COMING
THROUGH, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO
HAVE THAT IN PLACE -- WHEN SANDY
-- WHEN CINDY IS COMING THROUGH?
HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU HAVE
BEEN IN PLACE?
>> WE ARE HIT OR MISS WITH
WHETHER WE LIVE SO CLOSE TO THE
GULF SO WE DON'T TAKE ANY
CHANCES.
WHEN WE KNOW THERE IS A RISK OF
SEVERE WEATHER, NO ONE HAS A
CRYSTAL BALL TO SAY WE NEED
SOMEONE AT THIS PUMP STATION ARE
THAT PUMP STATION, WE JUST MAKE
A DECISION TO MAN THEM ALL
BEFORE THE THREAT IS OVER.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO THE
HOMEOWNERS AND THE RESIDENT AND
THE BUSINESS OWNERS BECAUSE WE
CANNOT TAKE A CHANCE.
JULIANA: A NEW ORLEANS, IF THE
FLOODING IS GETTING SO SEVERE,
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS ALSO
CONSIDERED?
>> WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE
CAN, THE SYSTEM IS NOT PERFECT.
THERE IS STILL GOING TO BE
POOLING BUT TO THE EXTENT WE CAN
PREVENT LOSS OF LIFE, WE ARE
GOING TO DO THAT.
WE GOING TO TAKE EVERY
PRECAUTION.
WE WANT OUR CITIZENS TO TAKE
THOSE SAME PRECAUTIONS.
IF YOU SEE STANDING WATER, DO
NOT TRY TO GET THROUGH IT.
NO ONE BUT THEMSELVES IN PERIL
UNNECESSARILY.
-- NO ONE NEEDS TO PUT
THEMSELVES IN PERIL
UNNECESSARILY.
JULIANA: THE SYSTEM IS NOT
PERFECT BUT HOW HAS THE SYSTEM
CHANGED GOING BACK TO KATRINA?
WHAT HAS CHANGED TO BETTER
PROTECT PEOPLE?
REPORTER: IN JEFFERSON --
>> IN JEFFERSON WE PUT
SAFEHOUSES AT ALL MAJOR POP
STATIONS.
IN A PERFECT WORLD WE WOULD BE
ABLE TO OPERATE THESE STATIONS
REMOTELY.
THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT IS TRASH
AND DEBRIS IN CANAL AND OTHER
THINGS THAT BLOCK THE PUMPS.
WE HAVE TO HAVE PHYSICAL
INDIVIDUALS ARE DOING LABOR AND
REMOVING THE TRASH.
WE'VE DONE THE BEST TO ENSURE WE
DON'T HAVE TO TAKE BOTH PUMP
OPERATORS AWAY FROM THOSE
STATIONS.
THEY ARE RATED TO OVER 200 MILE
PER HOUR WINDS.
THERE IS FOOD AND WATER AND
PLACES TO SLEEP.
JULIANA: IN TERMS OF THE LEVEE
PROTECTION, ARE MOST SPOTS IN
GOOD SHAPE?
>> IN ORLEANS PARISH, WE HAVE
LEVEE PROTECTION UNPRECEDENTED
IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF
NEW ORLEANS.
>> SAME FOR JEFFERSON IN THE
AREAS NOT IN OUR COASTAL
COMMUNITIES.
OUR LAST STEP OF PROTECTION IS
TO MAKE SURE THE FOLKS IN GRAND

Hot Seat: Local leaders review response to Tropical Storm Cindy

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