On Saturday, June 2, 2018 the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office hosted the 2nd quarter Neighborhood Leaders’ Roundtable on Hurricane Preparedness at the the Mosquito and Pest Control Board, 2100 Leon C Simon Drive. Over 115 residents and community leaders from across the City attended the event to learn valuable information on preparing for this hurricane season as well as and how the city is responding and preparing for weather events. Residents were able to network and connect with resources to assist with mitigating neighborhood flooding.
The program opened with a community spotlight on Water Wise NOLA work in the Seventh Ward and Treme to include highlights from the installation of a raingarden at Angela Chalk(7th Ward residents) home which eliminated street and backyard flooding. Councilmember Jared Brosett was also presented to greet attendees as well as representatives from Councilmembers Helena Monera and Jay H. Banks offices. CAO Gilbert Montano was warmly received by the crowd as he provided greets and discussed his background and role within local government. Followed by the welcoming attendees were introduced the new emergency response team to include Collin Arnold, Emily Nichols and Commanders Sandier and Frick, NOPD.
After introductions our featured presenters Anne Coglianese, Office of Resiliency and Sustainability provided an overview of the city’s resilient plan relating to eliminating coastal flooding as well as shared opportunities through the Gentilly Resilient District while Laura Mellem with NOLA Ready provided an in depth presentation on the city’s emergency preparedness plan to include the difference between evacuations as well as provided tools on preparing for several types of weather events to include tornadoes, coastal flooding and hurricanes.
After the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to engage in a roundtable activity that reinforced the tools for preparing for hurricane season as well as engaged in a questions and answers period with the new Emergency Response Team. Topics included Sewerage & Water Board pumping capacity, contraflow efforts, evacuation plan for non-English speakers, opportunities for green infacstruture as well as updating the evacuation spot placements.
Following the formal program, residents engaged and received resources from the following city agencies: New Orleans Fire Department, NOLA Ready, Capital Improvement Program, and NOLA Ready as well as the American Red Cross and Waterwise NOLA. The event was truly a success, as residents left better informed on preparing for hurricane season and ready to their part in mitigating neighborhood level flooding.
For more information on Hurricane Preparedness please visit http://ready.nola.gov.