In Advance of Gulf Storm, La. Gov. Declares State of Emergency

While not yet a named storm, a weather system developing in the Gulf of Mexico has prompted Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to declare a precautionary State of Emergency, the governor’s office said.

The developing storm is predicted to become a tropical system late Friday or Saturday and is expected to move inland over Louisiana.

In the proclamation, the Governor advised coastal parishes to call for the evacuation of citizens living in low lying areas and those living in trailers.

She further ordered her Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) to upgrade its level of readiness by activating personnel from critical state agencies working within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Those state agencies include Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana National Guard, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, the Louisiana Department of Social Services, the Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Administration

Due to the potential threat to Louisiana posed by the disturbance, these agencies will be manning their respective positions on a 24 hour basis as of 6 p.m. this evening.

To further ensure the State’s readiness, the governor ordered school buses, ambulance support, National Guard transportation assets and shelter operations personnel to be on standby.

Source: Louisiana Governor’s Office, www.gov.state.la.us/