City of New Orleans officials offer update on Hurricane Francine
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Officials with the City of New Orleans offered an update on Hurricane Francine during a Wednesday press conference.
A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning have been issued for southern Louisiana, including New Orleans. Additionally, Orleans Parish is under a tornado watch until 11 p.m. on Wednesday.
A storm surge warning is also still in effect for lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain as well as areas outside of levee protection, which include Venetian Isles, Lake Catherine and Irish bayou. Areas inside the levee system are not under the warning.
WATCH: WGNO full coverage on Hurricane Francine
Parking restrictions on neutral grounds and sidewalks are reportedly suspended until Thursday at 6 p.m.
The New Orleans Recreation Development Commission along with the Office of Homeless Services and Strategy hosted 50 people at the Rosenwald Recreation Center at 1120 S. Broad St. and continues to help unsheltered individuals. Those needing transportation assistance to the recreation center can dial 311.
Traditional emergency shelters are at capacity and are continuing to provide shelter to those within until Thursday.
Trash and recycling pickup have been pushed back one day for the rest of the week following Francine. Wednesday pickup will be on Thursday, Thursday pickup will be on Friday and Friday pickup will be on Saturday.
According to the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, 90 of 99 drainage pumps are fully operational to manage the demands of the storm. The system is capable of handling one inch of rainfall in the first hour and a subsequent half-inch per hour after that.
Photos: Southeast Louisiana prepares for impact of Hurricane Francine
Pumps near Florida Ave. and Peoples Ave. in the St. Roch and Desire area are not in service, however, they are used only for groundwater flow and don’t impact the neighborhood’s drainage capacity. Drainage for that area is being serviced by DPS 19 and the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal, which is operating at full capacity.
Communication issues with DPS 1, DPS 16 and DPS Grant prevent the actual pump status from displaying from Pumping and Power dashboard, which could become worse in the presence of a widespread power outage.
The SWBNO Storm Center offers up-to-date information on the storm response. Residents can call 52-WATER to report water-related emergencies.
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority suspended all services as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, in response to the storm.
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport cancelled all flights after noon for Wednesday, and it is possible that some cancellations were made for Thursday morning as well.
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