from The Times-Picayune
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.
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