The Jefferson Parish Department of Emergency Management along with other parish departments will conduct an evacuation exercise ahead of the upcoming hurricane season.
When and Where
The exercise is scheduled for Monday at the John A. Alario Sr. Event Center at 2000 Segnette Blvd. in Westwego.
The exercise begins at 12:30 p.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m.
About the exercise:
The annual exercise is designed to test how participating agencies would evacuate residents ahead of a disaster. Volunteers will act as residents in need of evacuation, allowing agencies to practice processing people based on individual needs and specialized scenarios.
Agencies participating:
- Jefferson Parish Emergency Management
- Jefferson Protection & Animal Welfare Services (JPAWS): (Please note that JPAWS will be closed on Monday, April 13, due to the exercise, however, the Humane Division will continue to take calls via the emergency/after-hours line at 504-554-4744.)
- Jefferson Parish Parks & Recreation Department
- Jefferson Parish Public Information Office
- Jefferson Parish Eastbank Consolidated Fire
- Jefferson Parish West Bank Fire Services
- Jefferson Parish Transit Administration
- Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
- LCMC Health EMS
- Kenner Police Department
- Kenner Fire Department
- Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP)
- Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD)
- Louisiana Department of Health (LDH)
- Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority
- Vineyard Church of New Orleans
- The City of Kenner
When does hurricane season begin?
Hurricane season begins annually on June 1 and ends on November 30.
What’s the hurricane outlook this year?
Colorado State University has released their first forecast for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
Their forecast calls for 13 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes.
An average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes.
The big reason for the below-average forecast is due to the development of El Nino expected by the summer.
Read more here.
The NOAA hurricane forecast will be released in May.
READ MORE:Here’s how Jefferson Parish leaders are preparing for the upcoming hurricane season
