Parish officials say pumping capacity is nearly „100 percent.“
The potential for flooding from Hurricane Harvey’s rainfall, has prompted Jefferson Parish to declare a state of emergency as a precautionary measure, but officials said Friday (Aug. 25) they are well positioned to handle any effects from the storm.
The emergency declaration would allow the parish to be eligible for federal disaster funds if they become available. Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for Louisiana on Thursday ahead of Harvey’s predicted landfall along the Texas coast late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm.
Forecasters are uncertain just how much rain the New Orleans area could see from Harvey, possibly 4 to 6 inches, but Jefferson Parish’s chief operating officer Keith Conley said officials are prepared.
„We have extra manpower on the streets, they are going to 24-hour shifts to ensure that the drainage culverts and all the infrastructure is in pristine shape, “ Conley said. „We’ve been given ample time to police these culverts and drainage lines and take all precautions necessary, so we feel very confident.“
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Conley is managing the daily operations while Parish President Mike Yenni is out of town for a Naval Reserve duty. Yenni has been involved with the storm planning and participated in meetings by telephone, Conley said.
Despite having two of the parish’s 180 pumps offline, Conley said Jefferson Parish’s pumping capacity is near „100 percent.“ The inoperable pumps are at the Elmwood pumping station and at Lake Cataouatche on the west bank, he said.
„We’re very close to 100 percent pumping capacity. Those two pumps out of 180 don’t reflect a lot, “ Conley said.
While the parish has the technical ability to monitor the pumps remotely through the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, Conley said public works employees will staff the pumping stations around the clock in 12-hour shifts.
„All of our pumps are on a SCADA system, so the director (Mitch Theriot) has a dashboard in front of him at all times where he can tell everything from fuel capacity to whether the pumps are operational, “ Conley said. „We’re very advanced in that area, but we do have our pump stations manned and ready to go.“
Repairs were completed Friday to one of the major pumps at Pumping Station No. 6, which is operated and maintained by the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board. The facility on the 17th Street Canal drains parts of Old Jefferson and Old Metairie as well as parts of New Orleans. The Sewerage and Water Board reported Friday that its citywide pumping capacity was at 92 percent.
During the hard rainfall on Aug. 5 in which parts of New Orleans flooded, the Pumping Station No. 6’s capacity was reportedly 65 percent, with six of its 15 pumps offline. Four days later, a fire damaged a Sewerage & Water Board turbine that provides power to the station that further compromised its pumping capacity.
Jefferson Parish recently collaborated with Entergy Louisiana to install backup power lines to the Jefferson Parish side of Pumping Station No. 6 to offer an alternate power supply.
„We were advised that they are totally energized so that a power failure won’t be an issue at that station, “ Conley said.
For lower lying areas of the parish susceptible to storm surge and tidal flooding, such as Jean Lafitte, portable pumps already have been stationed to help drain the area, and sandbags were being sent on Friday, Conley said
“ (Storm surge) is always a concern and they are old pros down there, “ he said. „They know exactly where to expect the water to rise, and what parts of the levee needs special attention. We’re prepared to assist them in those endeavors.“
Chief Deputy Joe Lopinto with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said high water vehicles and boats have pre-positioned for the parish’s coastal areas.
„We have not called for extra patrols as of yet, but everyone’s on notice for the beginning portion of next week, that possibly could occur, “ he said.
Meanwhile, Conley urged residents to have their storm plan in place now and stay informed as to where Harvey is headed.
According to the National Weather Service, Harvey became a Category 3 storm Friday afternoon, with winds surpassing 120 mph. Once on land, forecasters say Harvey is then likely to meander near or just inland of the middle Texas coast through the weekend dumping torrential rainfall possibly up to 35 inches in some areas.
Some forecasters say the system could later reorganize again and head toward Louisiana. The heaviest rain in the New Orleans area is expected between Sunday and Wednesday based on most predictions.
„It’s changed so drastically in the last 24 hours that it’s really hard to see what it’s going to do, “ Conley said. „You have to be mindful that in simple weather events we have power failures, we do have some street flooding … have alternate plans, don’t get caught at the last minute.“
