PRESS RELEASE

DSS begins evacuation assistance in New Orleans
BATON ROUGE, La. (August 30, 2008) –The Department of Social Services announced today that as soon as New Orleans activated its city emergency plan, DSS employees began registering residents without independent transportation. These residents will be tracked through a computerized system! so that family members will be able to find them.

DSS employees are ensuring that these residents are being safely boarded onto buses which are heading to both in and out-of-state shelters as well as to the airport for flights to other states. In addition, the first train filled with New Orleans residents has left the city. Currently, Louisiana and FEMA have agreements with Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Alabama to shelter residents.

All shelters have been prepared and are ready to receive residents who ! are evacuating. Those who are self-evacuating should stop at a shelter information point below in order to receive a reservation and ensure they have a spot in the nearest general population shelter available.

The shelter-information points (also listed on the Louisiana evacuation guides) are located at:

• Tourist Welcome Center, U.S. 65 & 84, 1401 Carter St., Vidalia
• Tourist Welcome Center, 836 I-20 West, Tallulah
• Sammy's Truck Stop, I-49, Exit 53, 3601 La. 115 West, Bunkie
• Med Express Office, 7525 U.S. 71, Alexandria
• LSU-Shreveport, P.E. Gym, One University Place, Shreveport
• Pickering High School, 180 Lebleu Road, Leesville
• Tourist Information Center, 8904 U.S. 165, Oberlin, La

For the latest on Hurricane Gustav, you can visit emergency.louisiana.gov or call the state's emergency hotline at 1-866-288-2484 to listen to a recorded message with the most up-to-date information.

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