The City of New Orleans is ramping up its recovery efforts after Hurricane Ida, continuing to dole out resources across the city to the more than 200,000 residents that stayed to weather the storm.
“Our infrastructure and operations continue to rapidly recover. That’s an exciting thing to be a part of,” Ramsey Green, New Orleans’ deputy chief administrative officer for infrastructure, said at a press conference updating the recovery efforts on Thursday.
The newest addition to the city’s efforts involves officials finalizing a plan to help shuttle residents that want to evacuate the city to a state-run shelter. Collin Arnold, director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, did not give a timeline for when transferring people to the shelters would start.
“This is going to happen,” Arnold said. “It’s just a matter of how we are going to set it up. We want to be orderly, fair and advantageous for our community.”
The shelter could be in north or central Louisiana, or potentially in another state, depending on the amount of space needed, and residents would be allowed to stay there until their power is restored.Arnold said elderly, ambulatory-challenged and residents with special medical needs would be prioritized, with the general population being offered a ride to the shelter after. The city will send out a survey to gather data on the number of people who wish to leave on Thursday.
The Allie Mae Williams Multi-Service Center in Central City is open for minor medical services. Services are limited but include oxygen exchange, prescriptions, and medical device charging. The city also plans to open a shelter at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in Downtown New Orleans on Saturday for residents with very severe medical needs.
Pharmacies are also opening back up.
The Army Corps of Engineers has completed their assessment of Ida’s damages and are initiating their blue roof program. Tarps are still available at distribution centers, but households with roof damage can sign up for a contractor to install the tarp for them.
Tarps will be available Thursday at the following locations:
- New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 3939 Gentilly Blvd. — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Arthur Monday Center, 1111 Newton St. — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- St. Maria Goretti Church, 7300 Crowder Blvd. — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, 807 N. Broad St. — 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Milne Recreation Center, 5420 Franklin Ave. — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (also a cooling center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Cooling stations and distribution centers continue to be open across the city, and the city’s recovery website is back online — detailing the locations and times for residents to grab food, water, charging stations and other needs. FEMA representatives will be at distribution sites to help with the disaster assistance application process.
Meals and water can be found at the following locations:
- Joe Brown Park, 5475 Read Blvd. — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Mahalia Jackson Theater, 1419 Basin St. — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Skelly Park, 2515 Vespasian Blvd. — 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Howlin Wolf, 917 S. Peters St. — 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Gernon Brown Rec Center, 1001 Harrison Ave. — 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Tulane Avenue and Broad Street — 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Treme Rec Center, 900 N. Villere St. — 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Namaste, 318 Diana St. — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Harmon Oaks, 2514 Washington Ave. — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- St. Roch Park, 1800 St. Roch Ave. — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- New Philippians Church, 5234 N. Claiborne Ave. — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, 1649 N. Robertson — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1823 Washington Ave. — 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Life Transformation Community Center, 8606 Marks St. — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- McDonogh #35 Senior High School, 4000 Cadillac St. — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Level Up Community Center, 1123 Lamanche St. — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Mayhew Bakery, 3201 Orleans Ave. — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Arthur Monday Center, 1111 Newton St. — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Milne Recreation Center, 5420 Franklin Ave. — 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Lyons Rec Center, 624 Louisiana Ave. — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Joe Brown Rec Center, 5601 Read Blvd. — 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
- Rosenwald Rec Center, 1120 S. Broad Ave. — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Stallings St. Claude Rec Center, 4300 St. Claude Ave. — 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Cut Off Rec Center, 6600 Belgrade St. — 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Cooling and charging stations can be found at the following locations:
- Lyons Rec Center, 624 Louisiana Ave.
- Joe Brown Rec Center, 5601 Read Blvd.
- Rosenwald Rec Center, 1120 S. Broad Ave.
- Stallings St. Claude Rec Center, 4300 St. Claude Ave.
- Cut Off Rec Center, 6600 Belgrade St.
Entergy brought online another transmission line early Thursday morning bringing back some light to the west-bound part of the city. 13 substations are back online with 14 substations still down. 744,906 customers are still without power as of 1:30 pm on Thursday.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell also updated the condition of Cedric Davilier, the New Orleans Police officer who was shot in the head on Tuesday. Cantrell said Davilier has been discharged from the hospital.
“I ask for your continued prayers for full recovery over the next three days so that he is in a better position moving forward,” Cantrell said.
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