Evacuation No Longer Mandatory At Pearl Canal Lock

SLIDELL, La. (AP) — Officials in St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana say the danger of a lock failing on a Pearl River canal has eased. A mandatory evacuation is no longer in effect, although Parish President Pat Brister is maintaining a voluntary evacuation status for people in hundreds of homes near Lock Number 2 on the canal.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked overnight to stabilize the lock, which has been in caretaker status since 1995.

Still, a flood threat remains in parts of St. Tammany. Parish spokeswoman Suzanne Parsons said Sunday that officials are keeping an eye farther south and advising residents to stay vigilant for information on the swelling West Pearl River. Waterways north of Lake Pontchartrain have been rising with the passage of Hurricane Isaac.