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JEAN LAFITTE, LA — Mandatory evacuations are ordered in the town of Jean Lafitte, as well as other low-lying areas of Jefferson Parish. Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni made the announcement Thursday morning in advance of the expected impact of a tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico. Grand Isle initially issued a voluntary evacuation order which was changed to mandatory as of Thursday morning. Other areas also affected by the mandatory evacuation order include Crown Point, Barataria, and Jean Lafitte. The system in the gulf is forecast to become a tropical storm and perhaps a hurricane by this weekend.  But the system’s track remains uncertain. Some areas in Louisiana could see up to 20 inches of rain by Monday.
  • Lafitte is using sand bags to prepare for storm surge
  • The sand bags are being filled at this location
  • Then the bags are taken to lower spots around the town
  • Lafitte is working to keep water from Barataria Bay from flooding homes
  • Lafitte, Crown Point, Grand Isle, and Barataria are under mandatory evacuation orders
The evacuations are set to take effect at 2:00 Thursday afternoon, but Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner says many people will not return home from work until later in the afternoon or evening to begin to leave. Yenni says the evacuation orders will allow neighbors in the parish’s low-lying areas to move to higher ground in advance of the storm’s arrival.