BATON ROUGE, LA — May 8, 2018 — The National Weather Service (NWS) Slidell has forecast a slight risk of severe weather for East Baton Rouge Parish beginning this afternoon through the evening hours. Current predictions anticipate 1- 2 inches of rainfall for the Baton Rouge area today, with rain chances increasing as we move into the weekend.

As many plan to celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, Mayor Broome encourages residents to be Red Stick Ready by having a plan in place for yourself, your family, and your pets. “Take a moment to clear outdoor debris and check your storm and window drains, as well as your gutters,” said Mayor Broome. “Hurricane Season is upon us, so let’s help prepare our community. Ensure you have a method to receive emergency communications, alerts, and local forecast updates.”

“As you prepare your family, your home, and your community to be Red Stick Ready, remember to use the Buddy System – check on your neighbors, businesses, and community groups to ensure a whole community readiness,” said Clay Rives, Director of The Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (MOHSEP).

Sand and sandbags are available at the following sites:

• BREC Airline Highway Fairgrounds – 16072 Airline Highway

• BREC Alsen Park – 601 Old Rafe Meyer Road

• BREC Cadillac Street – 6117 Cadillac Street

• BREC Doyles Bayou Park – 7801 Port Hudson-Pride Road

• BREC Flannery Road Park – 801 South Flannery Road

• BREC Hartley-Vey at Gardere Park – 1702 Gardere Lane

• BREC Memorial Stadium – 1702 Foss Street

• BREC Lovett Road Park – 13443 Lovett Road

• St. George Fire Department Headquarters – 14100 Airline Highway

Residents are urged to bring their own shovels to fill the sandbags.

Real-time sandbag locations can be found at http://gis.brla.gov/emergency. As new information becomes available the map will populate current data.

The Mayor-President’s Office and MOHSEP will continue coordinating with the National Weather Service, parish municipalities, and local and state officials throughout the duration of the event.

For further information follow Red Stick Ready on Facebook and Twitter @RedStickReady and download the Red Stick Ready mobile application - free on Apple and Android devices by searching Red Stick Ready.