Back to work...

"Office" Rob reporting once more from his evacuation site... I spoke to Barry on the phone today, and he, John Jr, B.J. and "Plant Manager" Rob were hard at work today getting our computer system and essential machinery up and running. Only one person came in today (Rey) but Lenny is expected to be in tomorrow giving us production and shipping capability. Many of our customers are in the same situation as we are as far as manpower goes, but the storm did a lot of roof damage and our products should be in high demand in the coming weeks.

Again, anyone returning home should be made aware that there are still widespread utilities and power outages across the metro area, but Joval is open and running if you can make it in to work thursday or friday.

ALL EMPLOYEES will be expected to be back to work on Monday, September 8th unless they have made special arrangements with B.J..

And now, the latest Parish-by-parish re-entry schedule:
by The Times-Picayune
Wednesday September 03, 2008, 1:25 PM

Except for Terrebonne and Plaquemines parishes, all residents were allowed back into their homes on Wednesday. All parishes had started admitting essential medical and utility workers, along with employees of construction supply stores, groceries and gas stations, on Tuesday.
In some parishes, dusk-to-dawn curfews remain in effect.


ORLEANS

-- Evacuees on state-chartered buses may return before week's end.

-- Plans to return elderly and infirm residents who were taken to Memphis via Amtrak trains are uncertain. A section of track on the City of New Orleans line along the Bonnet Carre Spillway was damaged during Gustav and cannot support rail traffic. Evacuee trains can take alternate rail lines back to the city.
JEFFERSON

-- All residents could return at 6 a.m. Wednesday

-- Louis Armstrong International Airport expects to reopen to commercial flights Thursday.

ST. TAMMANY

-- All residents: 6 a.m. Wednesday

ST. BERNARD

-- All residents: 6 a.m. Wednesday. All homes without electricty.

ST. CHARLES

-- All were allowed back Tuesday. Residents returning to the area should enter the parish via Interstate 55 to I-10, and I-310. State Police enforcing the roadblock on I-55 at Ponchatoula, have been instructed to let parish residents with proper identification cards through the checkpoint.

-- St. Charles Parish's Web site provides re-entry information, services available and the status of various neighborhoods. www.stcharlesparishgov.net


ST. JOHN

-- All residents: allowed back at 6 a.m. Wednesday.


LAFOURCHE

-- All residents: allowed back 4 p.m. Tuesday. Most homes without power. Estimate on restoring power is 3-4 weeks.

TERREBONNE

-- Remains under a 24-hour curfew. Parish officials have indicated residents could be allowed to return Friday though no official determination has been made.

PLAQUEMINES

-- Residents who live north of the Conoco Phillips refinery are allowed back effective 6 a.m. Wednesday.That includes residents in Belle Chasse and Jesuit Bend.

-- Re-entry date has not been set for residents in the lower end of the parish and those who reside on the east bank.

The latest re-entry information...

Hi there everyone, "Office" Rob here again, having just talked to BJ... 

John Jr. was able to make it over to the plant today and found that the plant suffered no obvious damage, and that there was still power in both buildings, so we are expecting to be up and running again soon. Unfortunately, this crisis has left many of our people scattered around the south, and some still are unable to return to their homes due to their parishes still being under mandatory evacuation orders. (a complete update from The Times Picayune, parish by parish follows this notice)

If you are in the metro area, our management team will be at the plant starting tomorrow and would welcome the help of anyone who is able to make it in to work, but Joval's official restart date will be on Monday, September 8th to allow everyone from out of town to make it back in. If this will pose a problem for anyone, please contact either BJ or Barry as soon as possible.

Now, onto the re-entry news...

The latest re-entry information
from The Times-Picayune

Tuesday September 02, 2008, 7:22 PM

Below are the latest re-entry guidelines for the 7-parish metro area and other Louisiana communities.

ORLEANS: New Orleans residents should not expect to return to their homes until Thursday morning at the soonest, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ray Nagin said Tuesday morning. With an estimated 77,000 Entergy customers blacked out across the city and hospitals still operating below capacity, Ceeon Quiett said New Orleans is not ready to welcome home as many as 300,000 residents who evacuated in advance of Hurricane Gustav.

City officials started allowing essential recovery workers back into the city Tuesday morning, she said. Categorized as Tier 1 under the city's re-entry plan, the group includes 
first responders, hospital and utility workers, government contractors and subcontractors that provide critical services and volunteer rescue and response organizations.

The city is still working on logistics with the state to bring home residents who left town on state-chartered buses through the city's free evacuation program, she said. That process should happen before week's end, she said.

The city likely will open Wednesday morning to Tier 2 workers, including employees of building supply companies, medical supply companies and financial institutions, Quiett said. Tier 3 personnel, including gas station operators, grocers and other retailers could get in by Wednesday afternoon, she said.

Quiett stressed that residents not carrying placards issued by the city to companies and organizations that requested priority reentry will not be allowed beyond checkpoints being manned at all roads into the parish by Louisiana National Guard soldiers and state troopers.

Until Nagin issues the order to allow ordinary residents back into the city, she said, a mandatory evacuation and dusk-to-dawn curfew remains in effect.

Quiett stressed that the return schedule could be accelerated depending on the restoration of electricity and public safety.

JEFFERSON: Several checkpoints on the Metairie-New Orleans line have been removed, allowing free access to any motorist even though officials say Jefferson Parish doesn't reopen until Wednesday at 6 a.m.

The parish reopened today at noon for first responders, emergency medical staff and local business people who registered and received Tier 1 and Tier 2 placards, Parish President Aaron Broussard said this morning.

A pair of Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies used their vehicles to block off the westbound West Bank Expressway at Stumpf Boulevard. They were motioning most unidentified cars and trucks to the shoulder so they could question drivers.

Emergency and utility vehicles, including Cox Cable vans, were allowed to pass the barricade without stopping.

Officers advised that returning evacuees should display placards on their drivers' side dashboards for quicker access.

Jefferson residents with Tier 1 or Tier 2 passes should be permitted to cross State Police check points in neighboring parishes if they have the Jefferson placards, said Bert Smith, Broussard's executive assistant.

Broussard said he will make an annoucement at 5 p.m. on when other residents may return. He said that those who are more than a day's drive from the parish should get on the road and reposition themselves closer to the city so they are ready to respond when he calls for reentry.

"We are not going to wait until Jefferson Parish is totally restored to invite people back," he said, trying to calm frustrated evacuees eager to return.

He said the parish is "fast-forwarding" the re-entry plan based on clean-up progress they think they can make today.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said the returning emergency responders and business owners should be prepared to be stopped by deputies who will ask to see their re-entry placards.

Broussard said driving conditions remain dangerous, as most stoplights are out and debris covers roadways.

ST. TAMMANY: The parish will re-open to all residents at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Parish President Kevin Davis said.

ST. BERNARD: Parish President Craig Taffaro said residents could be allowed re-entry beginning Wednesday at 6 a.m. But he cautioned that electricity is still out and might not return for several days.

ST. CHARLES: Citing downed powerlines and lack of services, St. Charles Parish officials are urging most residents not to return to the parish immedately. First responders and industry employees are urged to return as quickly as possible using their State Police credentials, parish spokeswoman Renee Allemand said.

Parish President V.J. St. Pierre Jr. said much of the parish should be on line within a a week and the threat of tidal flooding did not materialize."Things are looking real good provided we don't get any more rain," he said.

"Once we have cleared the roads, people can come back, provided they can sustain themselves. They will need a generator and food."

St. Pierre Jr. about 80 percent of the parish is without electricity, although water is safe to drink.

Parish officials said they hope that Entergy Louisiana will have power restored throughout the parish within the next 10 days. Public Works crews and volunteer firefighters are in the process of clearing downed power poles.

St. Charles Parish Hospital is open and running on generator power, hospital administrator Federico Martinez said. However, he said he expects full power to be restored shortly.

St. Charles Parish schools will be closed through Friday.

ST. JOHN: St. John Parish officials have not indicated when residents would be allowed to return pending the restoration of power and other services. St. John Parish Schools will be closed through Friday.

LAFOURCHE: A decision on allowing citizens to re-enter the parish is expected later today. Tier 1 emergency responders are being allowed back in the parish.

TERREBONNE: Remains under a 24-hour curfew. Parish officials have not indicated when a decision would be made on allowing citizens to return.

MORGAN CITY: Mayor Timothy Matte urged the estimated 10,000 residents who left to stay where they are. Gustav damaged critical infrastructure for power, water and other services leaving he city without essential utilities. The extent of damage was being evaluated today.

Status of the plant...

Hi there... "Office Rob" here delivering the following message from Barry, who is currently without power but safe in Ponchatula...

John Jr. and B.J. will be co-ordinating over the next few days with parish officials to figure out when everyone will be allowed back into their homes before making a decision on when the plant will be open for production. 

Currently, it seems that Gustav was not nearly as bad as anticipated, so hopes are high that we will be up and running again soon. Please keep checking this site for further information over the next day or two. I will pass on any news about the parishes lifting their evacuation orders as soon as I hear it. 

August 31st

Hopefully everyone has evacuated to a safe area.

George and Janet are in Ellisville, MS 8/30/2008

Peter is in Laurel, MS for one night and then he's not sure where he will be past Sunday.

The probability of the storm effecting N.O. is high. Please let us know what your plans are as things develop.

Be Safe

BJH

This site...

Is to keep the employees of Joval Manufacturing informed and updated in the event of an emergency. Watch this space for important information about plant operations.

If you have evacuated due to the storm, please leave us a comment letting us know that you're okay. Please keep in mind when leaving your comment that anyone on the internet can read it, so please keep your personal information safe.