News

St. Tammany Area Transportation (STAR) Transit Operations Resume Thursday, March 17 with Limited Restrictions

STAR Transit operations will resume operations on Thursday, March 17, 2016, with limited service on Military Road until water has receded. Riders may schedule transport by calling the reservation number at 985-327-0185. For those not in the Pearl River flood area, STAR Transit will resume the normal hours of operation 6am-6pm Monday through Friday for rural areas and 6am-6pm Monday through Saturday for urban areas.

STAR Transit is the demand response transit system that operates within the boundaries of St. Tammany Parish.

St. Tammany Parish Government Informational Update with Statement from President Pat Brister

St. Tammany Parish Government Informational Update with Statement from President Pat Brister

St. Tammany Parish Government officials are in the process of transitioning from response mode to recovery mode in the March 2016, heavy rain event. 

“As we move from response mode into recovery mode, we want every person impacted by this flooding event to get the assistance they need, and to have an understanding of what is in place right now, and will be in place soon, to assist them,” said Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President. “We announced yesterday that St. Tammany Parish is now included in the Presidential Disaster Declaration for the State of Louisiana as a designated area, eligible for individual disaster assistance through FEMA. We want every resident to know what this declaration means for their families who now need to start their own recovery process. In addition, your Parish Government is working on processes that will expedite cleanup and recovery efforts for affected families and businesses.” 

Affected families and businesses can apply for disaster relief through www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362). Residents may qualify for several federal disaster aid programs as needed and warranted under the disaster declaration issued for the State of Louisiana including,  assistance in the form of rental payments for temporary housing, grants for home repairs and the replacement of essential items not covered by insurance, and low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully covered by insurance. To detailed information on what assistance may be available, click here.

Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President, issued an Executive Order yesterday  that waives permit fees for the repairs and/or rebuilding of homes and structures damaged by the effects of this event. All other requirements of the building permit process will remain in place, including, but not limited to; filing for a permit, plan reviews and inspections. 

Construction and demolition debris removal has been activated by Parish Government for affected areas only. Pickup dates will be announced shortly and updated on the Parish information line. Residents are asked to leave flood-related debris curbside.

Offices of Parish Government, including the Emergency Operations Center are scheduled to resume normal business hours beginning Thursday, March 17, 2016. 

Up-to-date information for affected individuals can be found at www.stpgov.org/disaster and by calling (985) 809-2300.

“I would like to sincerely thank all of our partner agencies for their efforts to work together in this event. The National Guard, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Fire Districts, St. Tammany Parish Public Schools, the Louisiana State Police, the National Weather Service, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Louisiana DOTD, the Red Cross and GOHSEP. We were able to pull together and coordinate efforts to ensure the safety of our citizens,” said Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President. “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this incident. We will work together to make every family and business impacted by this flooding, whole again.  As we have always done, St. Tammany Parish will come together as one community and pull through stronger than we were, with the same sense of unity and resiliency that has always bound us together, that is part of our identity — part of what makes us St. Tammany.”  

St. Tammany Parish Receives Disaster Declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency

St. Tammany Parish has received a disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This declaration makes Federal funding available to affected individuals. If you are a resident of St. Tammany, and your home or business was damaged by flood waters in the event beginning March 8, and continuing, you may qualify for help from FEMA.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov.  Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. 

Residents who called the preliminary numbers, 985-898-2323, or 211, should proceed to apply for assistance directly through FEMA with the contact information above.

 

Permit Fees for Structures Damaged in the March 2016 Heavy Rain Event in St. Tammany Parish Waived

Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President, today issued an Executive Order that waives permit fees for the repairs and/or rebuilding of homes and structures damaged by the effects of the March 2016 heavy rain event. All other requirements of the building permit process will remain in place, including, but not limited to; filing for a permit, plan reviews and inspections.

To contact the Department of Planning and Development, Permits visit www.stpgov.org/departments/permits. To read the Executive Order, click here .

 

St. Tammany Parish March 2016 Flooding Update

Number of Sandbags Distributed: Approximately 100,000

 

Number of Shelters Open: 0 (2 Shelters were in operation and closed)

 

Number of Customers Currently Without Electricity: CLECO 19; WST 398

 

Status of I-59 and I-10: Each have seen rising water but no closures at this time. LSP & DOTD monitoring

 

Number of St. Tammany Parish Government Teams conducting Preliminary Damage Assessments: 17

 

Number of Structures Flooded that Preliminary Damage Assessments Have Identified:

 

St. Tammany West: 615 (Assessments are ongoing)

St. Tammany East: (PDAs will be conducted after the water recedes)

 

Number of Roads Currently Closed: The latest count on current road closures is 39. (This is subject to change)

 

Total Number of Roads Closed during the Disaster thus Far: 140 (This is subject to change)

 

St. Tammany Parish Government issued a preliminary phone number for St. Tammany Parish Flood Victims, 985-898-2323.

 

National Guard will stage vehicles at locations on Military Road at Crowes Landing, Morgan Bluff, Fisher Dr., Oak Alley, Herwig Bluff, Turtle Creek, Old River Rd, and at Hwy 190 and Indian Village to prevent rubbernecking. Vehicles and personnel will be there by 11:00 am.

 

Current crest is between Davis Landing and I-10. NWS is only monitoring the Pearl, they can’t give us any approximate times on any tributaries or backwaters. Rate of rising water is slowing down at I-10. Still forecasting crest at I-10 for early this afternoon.

 

The interstate is at elevation 11.7’. Water is holding for now, but DOTD continues to monitor. Water is at 11.06’ as of 10:00 AM near I-10 the water is not on the shoulder.

 

Fritchie Barn open for sandbag pick-up until 3:30 p.m. today.

 

BOIL ADVISORY RESCINDED St. Gertrude Subdivision St. Gertrude Water System (PWS 1103154)

Today (March 14, 2016), Tammany Utilities received confirmation from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals that the water we provide you is safe for consumption.  Therefore, the Boil Advisory is rescinded.

If you have any questions, please call Tammany Utilities at (985) 276-6400.

 

BOIL ADVISORY RESCINDED Lake Hills Village Lake Hills Water System (PWS 1103128)

Today (March 14, 2016), Tammany Utilities received confirmation from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals that the water we provide you is safe for consumption.  Therefore, the Boil Advisory is rescinded.

If you have any questions, please call Tammany Utilities at (985) 276-6400.

 

Preliminary Phone Number for St. Tammany Parish Flood Victims

If you have experienced flooding or damage to your home or property during the March Flood and need assistance, please call 985-898-2323. Call takers there will record your pertinent information, and keep it on record. St. Tammany Parish has not yet received a disaster declaration from FEMA, and therefore FEMA will reroute any calls placed directly to them, back through local government agencies.  When St. Tammany Parish receives a disaster declaration, we will release that information as well as the phone number to call FEMA directly.

St. Tammany Parish Government Relocating Emergency Operations to Towers Building in Slidell

St. Tammany Parish Government Officials will move Emergency Operations to the Towers Building in Slidell, in advance of the expected crest of the Pearl River to 21 feet late Monday. The executive staff, and the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, as well as several essential employees will relocate by noon today.

On Saturday, March 12, 2016, Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President, asked the residents of Pearl River to stay tuned to the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast of river levels in the coming days, and to be prepared to react to conditions that may arise. Parish officials continue to closely monitor the NWS forecasts as well.

Residents wishing to obtain sandbags can do so at the following locations until 7 p.m. tonight: St. Tammany Parish Public Works - Fritchie Barn, 63119 Louisiana 1090 in Pearl River; St. Tammany Parish Government- Building C, 21410 Koop Dr., Mandeville; St. Tammany Parish Public Works- Covington Barn, 1305 N. Florida St., Covington.

For more information on river stages, visit the National Weather Service River Forecast Center at: www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc.

 

St. Tammany Parish Officials Asking Residents of Pearl River to be Mindful of River Forecasts

The National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting that the Pearl River will rise to 19 feet starting on Sunday, March 13, 2016, and it is predicted to crest on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at 21 feet. The last time the river reached these stages was the flood of 1983. Officials at the NWS are predicting that impacts will be very different from what they were in 1983, because of the changes in the natural landscape as well as the natural changes in water flow. They are asking residents to be aware of the situation and be prepared to take action if necessary.

“The historical data we have is a very good tool, but in this case, the span of time between similar events has been over three decades,” said Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President. “We are urging residents to be alert and stay tuned to what is happening with the Pearl River and to resist the urge to use the last event of this nature as a benchmark of what could occur now, as it may impact your property differently than it did in past events. We are asking that you be prepared to react to conditions that may arise.”

For more information on river stages, visit the National Weather Service River Forecast Center at: www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc.

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  • Administrative Complex
    21490 Koop Dr.
    Mandeville, LA 70471
    985.898.2700

    Hours of Operation:
    Monday through Friday
    8:00am to 4:30pm