SCHOOL CLOSURES 8:10 p.m. p.m. 8/27

 The following schools and school districts have announced closures this week due to Tropical Storm Isaac:

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will close at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Classes that are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. or later Tuesday are canceled. The university will be closed  on Wednesday and all classes are canceled. The university  is scheduled to reopen on Thursday, and classes will resume.

ULL officials advise students and employees to continue to monitor university messages for updates. Information will be provided via the 24-hour hotline at 482-2222, local media, the Emergency Notification System, the university’s website at louisiana.edu and the university’s official Facebook page at facebook.com/officialullafayette.

Just after 4 p.m. Monday, St. Martin Parish Superintendent of Schools Ricahard Lavergne announced that schools in upper St. Martin Parish, including those in Breaux Bridge, Cecilia and St. Martinville will close at 1 p.m on Tuesday. All offices will close at 2 p.m. Tuesday.  Schools in the lower portion of St. Martin Parish will be closed Tuesday. The entire parish school system will be closed on Wednesday.

 

The Iberia Parish School District announced that its schools will remain open Tuesday but with early dismissal. Iberia Parish Superintendent of Schools Dale Henderson said he will be participating in a 4 p.m. meeting with the National Weather Service today and will notify local meeting of any new information.

“This storm continues to be somewhat unpredictable, so this information could change later this afternoon or this evening,” he said in a statement. 

• LAFAYETTE – South Louisiana Community College will cancel classes at all of its Lafayette, Crowley, Ville Platte, Abbeville, New Iberia, St. Martinville, Franklin and Opelousas campuses at noon Tuesday as Tropical Storm Isaac approaches Louisiana’s coast. Campuses will resume regular business and class schedules Friday morning.

Updated information can be found at SLCC’s hotline at 337 521-8926, on SLCC’s website at southlouisiana.edu, on its official Facebook page at Facebook.com/southlacc.

 • St. Mary Parish public schools – Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Hanson Memorial – Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Glencoe Charter School – Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Vermilion Parish public schools  – Tuesday classes are canceled. Wednesday closures are pending.

• St. Martin Parish  – Public schools in lower portion of the parish, specifically the Stephensville area, will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Closures in other portions of the parish are pending.

COURT CLOSING 2:15 p.m. / 8.27

The 16th Judicial District Court will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday in Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes, according to a prepared statement released by the court.

The court is scheduled to reopen Thursday. Any updates and additional information will be posted to the 16th Judicial District’s website — www.16jdc.org.

IBERIA DECLARATION 11:15 a.m. / 8/27

 

Iberia Parish President Romo Romero declared a state of emergency for the parish at 11 a.m. today following a conference call with state and local officials and the National Weather Service. The Teche Area is bracing itself as Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to make landfall Tuesday night.

“No mandatory or voluntary evacuations are expected this time …,” according to a prepared statement released by the parish’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

The statement recommended, however, some residents may want to leave if there home is vulnerable to category 1 hurricane conditions, including heavy rains, high tides and wind gusts up to 60 mph.

SANDBAGS 11 a.m. 8/27

 

Sandbags are available for Iberia Parish resident after 2 p.m. today at the following locations:

-Delcambre Public Works Department.

-Jeanerette Public Works Department.

-Iberia Parish Fire Stations:  Rynella, Coteau, BOM, Loreauville, Lydia, Grand Marais.

-Iberia Parish Public Works Avery Island Road Facility will bag sand for elderly and handicapped residents only

The city of New Iberia also is giving out sandbags.

• Filled sandbags are available from noon to 6 p.m. today at 907 Fulton St.

St. Martin Parish will have sandbags for residents from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. today and from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a prepared statement by the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The sandbags  will be available at:

• Ruth Bridge Barn

• North Barn (on North Barn Road)

• South Barn (on Capritto Forty Arpent Road)

• Doiron’s Landing

“Residents are reminded that they will have to fill the sandbags themselves and are encouraged to bring a shovel to assist them in the process,” the statement said.

For more information call the Sheriff’s Office at 316-7196.

ISAAC’S THREAT 10 a.m. 8/27

 

According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Isaac “poses a significant storm surge threat to the northern Gulf Coast.”

The NWS latest advisory lists the storms maximum sustained winds at 65 mph, as it travels west by northwest at 14 mph.