Lafayette Parish Officials Issue a Curfew

Lafayette Parish officials have continued to monitor Hurricane Isaac. Isaac has begun to bring tropical storm force wind gusts to Lafayette Parish. Lafayette Parish including all municipalities will be under a curfew beginning at 6 p.m.  Wednesday and until 6 a.m. Thursday.

Peak winds are expected throughout Wednesday afternoon and evening, and tropical storm force gusts will continue into Thursday.  Lafayette City Parish President Joey Durel says that they want people to be very careful, and they thought it was necessary to establish the curfew.  Rainfall totals will depend on where the storm goes.

Durel tells KPEL that people need to take necessary precautions and stay tuned to KPEL for any updates. If you want a copy of the LUS Hurricane Handbook can download at their website http://www.lus.org.

Lafayette Consolidated Government offers these tip for safety:

·         Because of recent rainfall, pay close attention to trees whose ground may be saturated, particularly those with shallow root systems.

·         Scan your property and secure those items which could become flying debris in the event of a storm.

·         In case of a power outage if you use a generator, make sure it has proper ventilation.  Do not operate a generator inside, near an open window, or in an outdoor area without proper ventilation.  The carbon monoxide fumes can be fatal.

·         Residents should not be on the roads unless in case of an emergency.  Those traveling in an emergency should remember two important precautions:

o   In case of a power outage and traffic signals are out, treat them as a four-way stop.

o   In case of vehicle accidents, move accidents from travel lanes.