While many of the most notable hurricanes in recent history have taken place in the late summer, hurricane season is nonetheless right around the corner, officially beginning June 1. St. Charles Parish officials advise, as always, to “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.”
Whether it’s preparation for a storm or anything else that could pose a threat to local residents, that’s also a mantra the staff at the St. Charles Parish Emergency Operations Center takes to heart. The center is the only EOC in the state of Louisiana that is active 24 hours a day, every day of the calendar year, and serves as the parish’s hub during hurricanes and other emergencies.
The current EOC building is across the street from the St. Charles Parish courthouse – the previous EOC headquarters was located underneath the courthouse, and the current one began operations in 2013.
One of the center’s key purposes is to alleviate pressure on 911 operators and responders. The center handles situations like downed electrical lines, broken gas lines, water leaks, dangerous or wild animals, damaged or missing road signs, and drone incursion among many scenarios under its watch.
When a situation escalates into a large-scale emergency, leaders and decision-makers from each of the parish’s agencies assemble at the center to coordinate response together – coordination with the parish’s schools, for example, to utilize school buses for evacuation efforts if necessary.
A control room allows EOC staffers to keep tabs on security camera feeds, incoming weather alerts and monitor drone detection software – the latter can quickly detect if and when a drone flies over critical infrastructure.
A dozen drone operators in St. Charles Parish and the surrounding areas have been arrested since 2017, when the parish installed the drone detection system, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Jason Tastet, director of the St. Charles Parish Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said a group of industries funded the detection system for the parish after drones were spotted over critical infrastructure. It is illegal in Louisiana to fly drones near or over critical infrastructure, which includes petrochemical facilities, grain elevators, pipelines, government buildings and similar areas.
Tastet said the parish’s Emergency Operations Center monitors the detection system and works in partnership with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. The system works by detecting drone signals.
Elsewhere, the EOC monitors the parish’s pump stations.
“We can see if a pump may be having an issue, a failure to start on an engine, or debris at a pump,” said Tastet. “Anytime we get any of that, we dispatch the proper public works person to take care of that.”
The EOC takes calls after hours from industry representatives and other parish agencies, be it wastewater, waste management, animal control or otherwise.
“Our guys here really have a good knowledge of how every parish department works, so they’re typically able to give an answer,” said Tastet. “If there’s a problem as result of parish infrastructure, typically we can call someone out to deal with that problem. And if we have an industrial emergency, all of our coordinators here are trained to handle those.”
Amid all of the newer, high-tech tools at the staff’s disposal is old reliable – the ham radio.
“It’s the oldest technology, but also the most reliable,” said Tastet. “As long as you have power to it and an antenna, it’s going to work.”
Tastet noted that during Hurricane Ida, Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes were unable to communicate with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security (GOHSEP), but the St. Charles EOC’s ham radio picked up those transmissions – ultimately allowing St. Charles to relay many of those messages to GOHSEP.
For major emergencies that require response for a sustained period of time, the site also has bunks, a full kitchen and laundry rooms equipped to serve both EOC staff and staff of other agencies.
“During Ida, we had National Guard staying with us … we stayed probably 44 days around the clock before anybody really left,” Tastet said.
All of it is happens inside of seven-inch thick walls of concrete that fortify the headquarters.
Storm preparation is a year-round effort for the parish. When storms do approach, a large focus is placed on informing residents what is necessary to ensure they and their homes are ready for potential effects – whether a resident stays or evacuates.
Following a storm, EOC staff conducts damage assessments, coordinates debris removal and power restoration efforts with partner agencies and gets information out to residents on recovery efforts and available assistance for those impacted.
For residents, a little bit of preparation can go a long way when a storm is approaching.
“Don’t be complacent,” said Francesca Blanchard, St. Charles Parish Public Information Officer. “It’s been a little while since we’ve had a bigger storm, and it can be easy to relax and say, ‘we’ll be fine,’ but we really want to encourage folks to stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.”
Blanchard noted the parish’s annual hurricane preparation guide is online on the St. Charles Parish website, which provides a synopsis of what exactly residents should be doing to be ready for such a storm.
“Have canned food on hand. Have plenty of water on hand. Know where your flood insurance policy is so that if you have to leave quickly, you can get your hands on it and go,” said Blanchard. “Clean up your yard – don’t have a pile of branches out in your yard. Have a plan for your pets.”
On the last point, the St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter will be holding an event in August where it will provide free microchips for pets, verify that a pet’s microchip information is correct and provide emergency kits so that a pet owner is ready to go when the time comes.
In the event of a mandatory evacuation, officials say residents should first work with neighbors, family, friends and social networks to secure transportation out of the parish. Those wishing to use assisted evacuation can register with St. Charles Parish Emergency Operations by calling (985) 783-5050 and speaking to the emergency coordinator on duty.
