STORM UPDATE: St. Bernard Parish Government calls for mandatory evacuation of residents living outside the Hurricane Protection Levee in the eastern-most part of parish

Sheriff James Pohlmann is interviewed by the media outside the area where sandbags were being given away, as drivers line up to get the bags.

St. Bernard Parish Prison work crews, supervised by Sheriff’s Dep. Brian Cadzow, load sandbags into vehicles at the sheriff’s sandbag barn at the rear of the Port of St. Bernard on Monday as residents took advantage of the offer to get the bags for protection of their homes and businesses.

St. Bernard Parish President David Peralta has called for a mandatory evacuation of residents living outside the Hurricane Protection Levee in the eastern-most part of the parish because of the likelihood of rising water from Tropical Storm Isaac.

The Sheriff’s Office has established monitoring of the roadway at Verret near the floodgate in eastern St. Bernard Parish, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The St. Bernard Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness is in full operation and will remain open until all weather associated threats have diminished. Residents may call the St. Bernard OEP Office at 504-278-4268.

Both Pohlmann and Peralta had urged residents who have property and boats outside the hurricane protection levee to secure what they had to to and get out before water started to rise.

The sheriff said the parish can likely expect heavy rains that will make driving difficult and dangerous and he urged residents who are riding out the storm to stay inside once heavier wind and rains begin, unless absolutely necessary.

Personnel from the Louisiana National Guard will have heavy-water units in St. Bernard to assist law enforcement in the parish, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The Sheriff’s Office gave out thousands of sandbags at its sandbag barn at the rear of the Port of St. Bernard to parish residents and businesses on Monday,. The line of vehicles to get the bags of sand stretched out massively.

Sheriff Pohlmann, who was on the scene for a while as he went from one place to another,, said residents have come to use sandbags for both protecting low spots from water and for propping doors to prevent them from being damaged by wind.