Tropical Storm Lee Forms In Gulf

Tropical Storm Lee swirled in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday morning, as residents and government officials prepared for the possibility of severe flooding and heavy rains.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency on Thursday night as the entire New Orleans area was under a tropical storm warning and flash flood watch until the end of the Labor Day weekend.

Parish leaders urged people to clear storm drains of leaves, trash and other debris and to stay away from typically flood-prone areas over the weekend. Parish work crews pumped down drainage canals and set out temporary water pumps and barricades in flooding hot spots.

Lafourche Parish opened sand bags stations at the following locations:

• Thibodaux Field Office: 2565 Veterans Boulevard
• Raceland Field Office: 129 Texas Street
• Lockport Field Office: 6236 Hwy 308
• Galliano/Cut Off Field Office: 128 West 97th Street
• Choctaw Field Office: 122 Choctaw Barn Road
• Bayou Blue Field Office: 104 Myrtle Place

The City of Slidell in St. Tammany Parish offered up to 15 sand bags per resident from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations:

• Cleveland Avenue off Sgt. Alfred Drive, near the tennis courts
• Lee Street, which intersects Pontchartrain Drive at the intersection near Carey Street.
• At the corner of Independence Dr. and Rue Rochelle
• John Slidell Park

St. Bernard Parish began giving out pre-made sandbags at the Old Kaiser building behind the courthouse at 10 a.m.

In St. Charles Parish officials offered sand and bags for residents to compile themselves at a number of locations:

• East Bank Bridge Park 
• West Bank Bridge Park
• District I
  Hackberry Street southwest of the pump station between Gassen Street and Luling Estates Drive
  Bamboo Street and Plantation Road
  Pioneer Drive and Settlers Drive
  King Street behind school
  End of River Park Drive
  School House Road near railroad tracks
  Boutte Estates at the curve
• District II
  Willowdale Boulevard and East Heather next to the levee
  Rex Street between Davis Drive and Evelyn Drive east of Pump Station Road
  Sugarhouse Road and Angus Drive
  Bernard Avenue near the pump station
  Ama Grain Ball Field
  Lakewood Elementary School
• District III
  Red Church Subdivision
  Ormond Fire House, Ormond Boulevard
• District IV
  Paradis Pump Station at canal boat launch
  Up the Bayou Road near the pump station
  Twin Bridge Road and Down the Bayou Road
  LA 631 (Old Spanish Trail) behind the church
  LA 306 at Badeaux Lane East
  Grand Bayou Road and Sunshine Drive
• District V
  Fourth Street
  Bar None Subdivision
  Charles Towne Subdivision
  Fairfield Subdivision
  I-310 Service Road
  Oakland Subdivision
  Preston Hollow and River Road
  River View
  Dianne Place
• District VI
  Montz Recreation Park
  New Sarpy Recreation Park
  Norco Elementary School and Apple Street
  Norco Fire Station
• District VII
  George Cousins Road and West Heather Street
  Valencia Street and Primrose Drive
  Primrose Drive West of the Lagatutta pump station between Wade Street and Oak Street
  Lakewood Elementary School

St. John Parish offered sand bags at the following locations:

• Airport – 355 Airport Road, Reserve
• Old 2^nd Ward School Site – 3671 Hwy 18, Edgard
• Pleasure Bend Fire Station – 1200 Hwy 643, Pleasure Bend

Tangipahoa Parish offered sand bags at the following locations:

• Tangipahoa Parish Public Works Facility South: 44512 West Pleasant Ridge Road, Hammond
• Tangipahoa Parish Public Works Facility North: 63101 Commercial St., Roseland

Terrebonne Parish closed the Upper Little Caillou Barge Structure, Bush Canal Barge Structure, Humble Canal Auxiliary Structure, Bayou Terrebonne at Montegut, and Boudreaux Canal floodgates at Chauvin and made plans to close the Lower Dularge Barge. The Placid Canal Barge Structure is under construction and currently closed by the contractor on site for the next two weeks, unrelated to the storm.

Terrebonne Parish will offer sand and sand bags by 3 p.m.

• Montegut Fire Station
• Ward 7 Center
• St. Anne Church
• Grand Caillou Fire Station
• Adult Softball Complex/Airbase
• Upper Bayou Dularge Fire Station
• Lower Bayou Dularge Fire Station
• Civic Center Bayouside Parking Lot (near Library)
• Cannata’s Parking Lot (West Park Ave.)
• Coteau Park (next to Fire Station)
• Bayou Black Fire Station (Savanne Road)
• Schriever Fire Station (Hwy. 24)
• Gibson Fire Station
• Gibson East Fire Station
• Donner Community Center
• Friendswood Church (Village East)
• Gray Park (next to UPS)
• Mechanicville Gym
• Roselawn Ave. @ Payne Street

Washington Parish offered sand bags at the following locations:

• Washington Parish Public Works #1: 800 Pearl Street, Franklinton
• Washington Parish Public Works #2: 7 Mile Road at Hwy. 10, Franklinton
• Washington Parish Fire District 7: 17380 Bill Booty Road, Bogalusa