City of New Orleans Continues Hurricane Ida Relief Efforts

Today, the City of New Orleans updated residents on Hurricane Ida response and recovery efforts. As residents learn of power restoration in their neighborhoods, and businesses start to reopen, City agencies and public safety officials continue to assess damages sustained during the storm and partner with organizations to offer residential resources.

Storm debris removal began today. Residents are reminded to only place debris curbside and not on neutral grounds or on levees. Vehicles must be removed from neutral grounds and rights of way, so that crews can access these areas to clear the storm debris.

Recovery updates and remaining community resources are as follows:

City Hall Operations

• City Hall will reopen on Thursday, Sept. 9, at 7 a.m. 

Entergy New Orleans

• 46,271 (24%) of customers remain without power
• Percentage of damage assessments complete: 100%
• All hospitals in Orleans Parish have been restored as well as a number of grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and restaurants 
• Anticipate the vast majority of customers in New Orleans who can safely accept power will have it restored by Sept. 8 with a few of our hardest-hit areas along Chef Menteur Highway east of Chef Pass extending out an additional three weeks

Storm Debris Removal

• Storm debris removal began today
• Will include three citywide passes before completion
• Place storm-related debris curbside in the following categories:
  • Household Garbage: Bagged garbage, discarded food, paper, packaging. (Use City-issued trash cart when possible)
  • Construction Debris: Building materials, drywall, lumber, carpet, furniture, etc.
  • Unbagged Vegetative Debris: Logs, leaves, tree branches, plants
  • Appliances: Doors must be sealed/secured
  • Do not block roadways or place debris near trees, poles or fire hydrants

Department of Sanitation

• Sanitation contractors began regular trash collection late last week
• Residents are reminded to use the City-issued 95-gallon trash collection carts to dispose of refrigerated items and/or household waste
• All sanitation services in the French Quarter resumed this week
• Mechanical sweeping to the curb completed where possible

Transportation Assistance to State-Run Shelters

• The City Assisted Transportation program has been suspended effective Wednesday, Sept. 8
• Since the program was implemented, 782 residents have been temporarily relocated to State-run shelters throughout northern Louisiana; 40 residents were transported today
• The City will provide transportation back to New Orleans; more information will be available soon on the reentry process

New Orleans Health Department (NOHD)

• The Central City Senior Center and First Aid Station now has rapid COVID-19 testing available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily
  • This center continues to also operate as a cooling center and charging station
• The New Orleans Health Department continued post-Hurricane Ida wellness checks at multiple senior apartment complexes in New Orleans, evacuating nine facilities that were deemed unfit for ongoing occupancy and bringing the number of post-storm fatalities in senior living sites to five
• New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, the New Orleans Fire Department, and the Regional Transit Authority assisted in the evacuation of Peace Lake Towers in New Orleans East, St. John Berchman in Gentilly, St. Martin Manor in the Warehouse District, Delille Inn in New Orleans East, Nazareth Inn 1 & 2 in New Orleans East (one fatality), Flint Goodridge Apartments in Milan (two fatalities), and Christopher Inn in the Marigny (one fatality). That is in addition to the two facilities ordered closed on Friday, including Annunciation Inn in the Seventh Ward (one fatality) and Renaissance Place in Algiers. The five deaths are under investigation by the Coroner’s Office.
• Evacuated residents have been triaged by medical professionals and transported to facilities appropriate for their condition, with the majority being bussed from the Convention Center to general population shelters in Northern Louisiana and some transferred to area hospitals.
• Wellness checks are ongoing at private facilities and the public is encouraged to call 3-1-1 to report dangerous living conditions in senior apartment complexes.

Sewerage and Water Board New Orleans (SWBNO)

Sewer Pumping Stations | Sewer Treatment Plant

• Eight sewer pump stations are currently not operational
• The agency has generators, electricians and/or vacuum trucks headed to the sites to power up the non-operational stations, fix pumps or pump down the stations
• Wastewater treatment plant operations are beginning to normalize; SWBNO are closing bypass valves to divert all flow to the East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant
• The Networks Department is utilizing a fleet of vacuum trucks and flush trucks to pump out stations as they fill up and respond to back-ups
• They continue to urge the public to be extremely mindful when using water; do not use large appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines; take shorter showers and focus on general water conservation
• Call 52-WATER, if you are experiencing or see a sewage back up or have low or no water pressure, or visit swbno.org to report water and sewer emergencies

Municipal & Traffic Courts

• New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Courts are closed until further notice
• No attachments or suspension are being issued at this time
• If you have an upcoming court date, please do not appear
• The public will be notified accordingly when the courts resume normal operations

New Orleans Police Department

• The Louisiana National Guard and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office continue to support NOPD in securing the City
• The City of New Orleans’ curfew remains in effect until further notice; curfew hours are between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

New Orleans Public Schools

• The network of charter schools plans to reopen campuses between Sept. 15-22
• This plan depends on continued power restoration and the availability of essential city services provided to returning families
• All schools will notify families of individual reopening dates by Friday, September 10
• Damage assessments were completed and found minimal to moderate damage
• As schools reopen, COVID-19 safety will remain a top priority; students are encouraged to get tested before returning to school; testing programs at individual schools will be reinstituted

New Orleans Public Library (NOPL) – Central City Library Opening Tomorrow

• The following libraries are now operational for computer/Wi-Fi access, phone charging stations, and air conditioning:
  • Algiers Regional Library, located at 3014 Holiday Drive, will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Central City Library, located at the Allie Mae Williams Multi-Service Center at 2020 Jackson Avenue, Suite 139, will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Cita Dennis Hubbell Library, located at 725 Pelican Ave., will be open from 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
  • Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center, located at 4300 S. Broad Ave., will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• The Library does not have device chargers and asks residents to bring their own
• Plugs will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for an hour per person
• All other Library locations remain closed at this time
• As additional libraries open, information on hours of operation can be found on nolalibrary.org and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @nolalibrary

Community Resources & Assistance

Regional Transit Authority

• The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will extend service hours beginning Wednesday, Sept. 8
• Hours of operation are from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• All bus routes will continue operating on a modified Saturday schedule daily
• Buses will also run on the Canal and St. Charles streetcar lines, on the modified schedule
• Fares continue to be waived 
• For more information, riders can call Rideline at 504-248-3900 

Uber and LYFT Transportation Code

• Uber Code: IDARELIEF2021
• LYFT Code: IDARELIEF21
• The free codes allow residents to go to City Cooling Centers and PODs

Cooling Centers:

• Treme Recreation Center (900 N. Villere St.)
• Cut-Off Recreation Center (6600 Belgrade St.)
• Gernon Brown Recreation Center (1001 Harrison Ave.)
• Milne Recreation Center (5420 Franklin Ave.)
• Stallings St. Claude Recreation Center (4300 St. Claude Ave.)
• John P. Lyons Recreation Center (624 Louisiana Ave.)
• Joe W. Brown Recreation Center (5601 Read Blvd.)
• Rosenwald Recreation Center (1120 S. Broad Ave.)

PODs:

• Joe W. Brown Park (5475 Read Blvd.)
• Mahalia Jackson Auditorium (1451 Basin St.)
• Skelly Park (2515 Vespasian Blvd.)
• Wesley Barrow Stadium (6500 Press Drive)
• John P. Lyons Recreation Center (624 Louisiana Ave.)
• Dryades YMCA (2220 Oretha C. Castle Haley Blvd.)

Blue Tarp Distribution

• The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is providing blue tarps for Orleans Parish residents who sustained roof damage
• Residents registered for the Blue Roof Program are reminded to beware of scammers
• Blue Roof representatives never solicit your participation, nor will they ask for Social Security, bank account numbers or any compensation for this service
• Visit Blue Roof Information (army.mil) for information on how to retrieve a blue tarp

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• To date, 111,680 households have registered for disaster assistance
• $59.7 million in funding approved for disbursement
• To report FEMA Fraud, visit StopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov or call 1-866-223-0814

City of New Orleans Gas Map

• Check out the map of open gas stations, compiled by the City of New Orleans at nola.gov/gasmap
• This information is self-reported by gas station owners and operators; map will be updated as additional information becomes available
• Visit nola.gov/gas and complete the form to add your operational business to the map

Additional State & Local Resources

Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) Family Reunification Hotline

• The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is launching “Connect,” a way for families to locate loved ones who evacuated from Hurricane Idea to a state shelter.
• The number to call is 225-342-2727. Alternatively, families can fill out a form online to reach out to loved ones who may be in state congregate shelters. That form is found at http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/form/dcfs-connect
• Individuals looking for loved ones evacuated from one of the following seven nursing homes should call 211, which is coordinating with LDH’s Office of Aging and Adult Services to connect families:
  • River Palms Nursing and Rehab, Orleans Parish
  • South Lafourche Nursing and Rehab, Lafourche Parish
  • Maison Orleans Healthcare Center, Orleans Parish
  • Park Place Healthcare Nursing Home, Jefferson Parish
  • West Jefferson Health Care Center, Jefferson Parish
  • Maison DeVille Nursing Home, Terrebonne Parish
  • Maison DeVille Nursing Home of Harvey, Jefferson Parish
• The number to reach Louisiana 211 from outside the state is: 800-755-5175.