With storms looming just off the coast, nerves are high in St. Tammany Parish. And for residents like Nicole Brown, who lives near the Mandeville lakefront, preparation isn’t optional. It’s essential.
“Everybody’s pretty nervous now that we are hearing about storms that are so close,” Brown said.
As soon as she learned about the free sandbag distribution sites offered by the parish, she and her family sprang into action.
“It’s free, it’s helpful. And we definitely don’t want to flood again,” Brown said.
St. Tammany Parish crews are mobilized. Teams are actively pumping down ponds, making sandbags available to residents, and strategically staging personnel and equipment in anticipation of potential flooding.
But local leaders stress that residents also play a crucial role in flood prevention.
“You have a ditch in front of your yard, it’s got some things in there that shouldn’t be in there … Go take it out,” said Michael Vinsanau, public information officer for St. Tammany Parish. “Because again, those things are what’s stopping the drainage.”
The parish is responsible for managing more than 1,600 miles of ditches. Vinsanau says the effort to keep them clear isn’t seasonal.
“We can’t just start this on June 1, because if we do, we’re way behind the eight ball. We clean this year-round,” he said.
St. Tammany has also invested millions of dollars into drainage improvements, from new equipment to restoring natural water flow paths.
“We need to look at all of our drainage systems as one — how they feed into each other, how they benefit each other — and how we can better serve our citizens,” Vinsanau said.
Alongside flood concerns, the risk of power outages is real. Cleco communications strategist Brooke Buford urges families to check their storm kits now, before it’s too late.
“Having nonperishable food, a manual can opener, flashlights and batteries, making sure you have your medications in one place, making sure your car is good to go … if for some reason you would need to evacuate from some sort of storm,” Buford said.
St. Tammany Parish
Out of an abundance of caution, self-service sandbag locations will be available in the following areas starting at noon Wednesday.
- Airport Road Public Works Barn (34783 Grantham College Drive, Slidell)
- Fritchie Public Works Barn (63119 LA-1090, Pearl River)
- Keller Public Works Barn (63131 Fish Hatchery Road, Lacombe)
- St. Tammany Parish Government Complex (21410 Koop Drive, Mandeville)
- Covington Public Works Barn (1305 N. Florida St., Covington)
Please bring your own shovel. Assistance to those in need is available by calling 985-898-2557.
READ MORE:Storm prep in full swing as St. Tammany residents brace for possible flooding
