PRESS RELEASE

St. John Allows Re-Entry Wednesday, Sept 3, 6:00 AM
Updates as of 6:30 pm, Tuesday, September 2, 2008
RE-ENTRY INFORMATION:
Residents will be allowed to return Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 6 AM.

SERVICES ARE NON-EXISTENT. Power is out parish wide. Sewerage service is unreliable until power is restored. The hospital will open at 7pm tonight for emergencies only. The hospital is not open at this time, and will begin elective services next week.

STORES and BUSINESSES are not open. The is no gas.

CURFEW is still in place from 8 pm to 6 am.

Be prepared to be ON YOUR OWN for several days. Those who can stay away for another day or two should.

St. John Parish has NO plans to provide: Food, Shelter, Gas, or Medical services (until Hospital is open)

NO BUSINESSES ARE OPEN.

SCHOOLS: All schools in St. John Parish will be closed this week.

CURFEW nightly from 8 pm to 6 am and is extended through Wednesday.

Residents who stayed in the parish are asked to assist with the drainage situation and clean the catch basins in their neighborhoods and attempt to clear ditches and culverts of any debris.

POWER: 14,000 customers are without electricity on the East and West Bank. Parish officials are working with Entergy to reestablish services. Power will be restored to medical facilities within the next day or two. Parish officials have been told that restoring power to the entire parish may take weeks. Upon return residents are asked to call 1-800-9-OUTAGE to report power outages.

WATER/SEWERAGE: Water and sewerage service is sporadic throughout St. John. Crews are working to return these services to full capacity.

DEBRIS: Please begin cleaning your property upon your return. Place all debris on the curb of your property. Crews will be picking this debris over the next week or two.

CLOSED: Animal Shelter, Post Office, Courthouse, Schools, Libraries, Hospital and all businesses.

STREAMING LOCAL BROADCAST: maroonspoon.com/wx/gustav.html