Mayor Cantrell Thanks Public Safety Partners as City Returns to Regular Operations

Mayor LaToya Cantrell today expressed gratitude to City public safety agencies and first responders, as well as external partners, for their coordination and preparation during Tropical Storm Gordon.

"This past week proved that our City is prepared for potentially dangerous weather events. It takes a team of committed, focused and dedicated people to be ready for these moments, and the fact that we avoided danger does not lessen the impact of this work. We are grateful for everyone, including our residents, for their patience, vigilance and understanding," Mayor Cantrell said. "We need to remind our residents that we are still in the middle of hurricane season and we need to continue to stay prepared and have a plan."

Preparing for and responding to weather events such as these includes coordinated efforts among multiple agencies and departments, notably the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) working with the U.S. National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Louisiana Department of Health --  and also with the New Orleans Police Department, the New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Public Works, the Sewerage & Water Board, New Orleans 311 and the Orleans Parish Communications District.

This network also kept in close communication and coordination with partners such as the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Entergy, Flood Protection Authority -- East, RTA, and New Orleans & Co.

Both Mayor Cantrell and Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency in advance of Gordon's landfall, which shifted over the past 24 hours from a projected path headed directly toward New Orleans to a more eastward path. The storm made landfall early Wednesday along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

With the threat to New Orleans diminished, City Hall is set to be open for a half day today, with offices, NORDC and the New Orleans Public Library scheduled to open doors by noon. Also, regular parking restrictions, including the use of neutral grounds, will be back in effect starting at noon.