School closures announced in St. John Parish; sandbags available
Published 7:26 pm Thursday, March 10, 2016
RESERVE — Due to the threat of severe weather, all schools in the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District will be closed on Friday, school leaders announced.
Due to the inclement weather, St. Charles Catholic High School will be closed Friday.
Due to the bad weather expected over the next two days, Riverside Academy will also be closed Friday. School leaders said the safety of staff and students are very important, adding Riverside will reopen Monday morning.
Other schools which announced Friday closures include St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, St. Peter Catholic School and Ascension of Our Lord Catholic School.
The National Weather Service continues to predict widespread heavy rainfall of seven to 10 inches and strong winds to impact the region. St. John the Baptist Parish remains under a Flash Flood Watch, Coastal Flood Advisory and Wind Advisory. Residents are advised to take precautions for extensive rainfall and monitor weather conditions closely for updates and changes.
Parish departments and crews have made preparations all week for anticipated inclement weather including traveling throughout the Parish to check pump stations, catch basins, and drains and pump down canals and wells. Public Works crews have also worked to blow out culverts and remove as much vegetative debris as possible from roadways.
The Utilities Department is also monitoring lift stations and generators for the water and wastewater systems.Residents are also asked to assist with removing debris from catch basins and storm drains and securing loose debris and tree limbs. Public Works and Utilities crews will be on hand in the event issues arise with drainage and utility systems.
Low-lying areas that experience heavy rainfall from thunderstorms in a short period of time may experience street flooding. Please dial 911 to report weather related emergencies so calls may be directed to the appropriate department and a record established. Residents should use caution when on roads and should not drive vehicles into areas where the water covers the roadway as water depths may be too deep to allow vehicles to pass safely.
Sandbag locations have been positioned throughout the parish and will be available beginning at noon. At this time, residents are limited to 10 bags per person. Bags are on site, but please remember to bring a shovel and do not take additional empty bags:
- 425 Captain G. Bourgeois (pre-filled sandbags for elderly & disabled only)
- REGALA Gym., 200 Regala Park Road, Reserve
- Fire Station #92 located at 5733 Hwy 18, Wallace
- Fire Station #94 at 1200 Hwy. 643, Pleasure Bend
The St. John Parish Emergency Operations is monitoring the weather forecast for any changes and additional alerts. Please also sign up to receive Parish emergency notifications to a home phone, cell phone, email or SMS text messaging device by visiting the homepage of the Parish’s website at www.sjbparish.com and clicking on “Stay Connected.”
