My Helpers : )
GARBAGE PICK-UP Yesterday:

Coastal passed through the streets covering most of the city. I, along with some young volunteers, moved carts blocked by low hanging wires so they could be accessed (keeping several areas from being missed). Coastal's trucks were still working in the dark after 7:00pm.

If your carts were missed, e-mail info@ces-la.com. Due to hurricane damage, Coastal’s office continues to work remotely.
Sorry, I didn't catch my "helper's" names. The older one knew of I Am Home by O.A.R. Well, yes, we are home : )
Ida Update
ELECTRICITY: CLECO is estimating all power will be restored by this evening. There will still be some homes that do not get energized.

CLECO has asked that if you do not have power but surrounding homes do have power to fill out a building permit application. 

Building Permits: Download form on-line (mark-up as PDF or print, then fill out) and e-mail to cbrown@covla.com (or drop off at City Hall permits office). Printed copies are available in City Hall lobby. If you have trouble, e-mail mayormark@covla.com. I can help you through it. INCLUDE YOUR CLECO ACCOUNT NUMBER.


TYPICALLY, permits submitted before noon are inspected that afternoon. Permits submitted after noon are inspected the next morning. Kudos to the Permit Department for the quick turn-around.

The city will send an inspector who will assess the situation and report to CLECO:

  1. All clear, re-connect
  2. Problem on CLECO's side.
  3. Problem on Homeowner's side

In effect, the City is helping CLECO re-store power by diagnosing outages before a repairman comes out.

Of course, for someone that has no damage to their home, this is very frustrating. I am only sharing what CLECO has asked us to do (i.e. I'm the messenger). If you have no damage and would like to contact CLECO directly, the number I was given is 1-800-622-6537. You may be successful (and I hope so).

Interesting (at least to me) it is estimated over 30,000 electric poles in Louisiana toppled in Ida. In Katrina, only 18,000. Destruction of our electric grid in Louisiana is greater than Hurricanes Katrina, Delta and Zeta … combined. The forested area of Covington really got whacked.

SEWER LIFT STATIONS have been a major challenge since last Thursday. Our sewer collection system is not designed to run days on end without electricity. Of our 68 lift stations, the larger ones all have generators. Like our residents, Public Works’ employees are craving electricity for these sites.

Public Works employees are the unsung heroes of this disaster recovery.

BOIL WATER ADVISORY remains in place as a precaution. As long as the City's water wells are on generator power, protocol is we maintain a boil water advisory. Additionally, as large tree stumps are pulled out of the ground, water mains are being broken. When the Advisory has ended, we will announce it loudly, publicly and with glee.
Charter and AT&T
Charter Spectrum and AT&T usually do not begin restoration work in earnest until CLECO clears out. Assessment teams have been in the area. Based on the amount of their infrastructure destroyed in the storm I fear any timeline they might offer would be as worthless as CLECO’s computer generated outage map and ETRs. Their computers cannot accurately predict restored service after a storm of this magnitude.

From Charter’s Update to me (yesterday), “It appears the Northshore and our South Louisiana areas were most impacted in our footprint. Our efforts are currently limited with what we can do in areas without power, either in customers’ homes or in our network beyond our existing back up power capabilities.” 
BULK DEBRIS PICK UP has begun in earnest. Separate trees, limbs and leaves from demolition debris from white goods (washer, dryer, fridges, freezers). If you are unable to fit all your debris near the road at this time, sit tight. After the first pass, you can move additional debris to street side for a 2nd pass.


Please, DO NOT BAG LEAVES. If you do bag them, we will eventually get them, but it will be a different, more expensive and delayed response.
Turnouts to community relief efforts continue to be amazing. To our residents, thank you for being special.

.Much Appreciation to Pastor John Ellington of Living Disciple Ministries. Pastor John organized a trailer load of supplies, then drove it down from the Dallas area with his wife and two-year old child, delivering it to Peter Atkins Park where volunteers, responding to a Facebook post, unloaded and distributed to local residents. Pastor John did not know any of us.

That's Good Stuff.
Thanks to United Way for Their Never-Ending Support : )
New Hampshire Street, 1907
On the right to the far end one can make out the distinctive roof line of the Southern Hotel. Thank you to the Southern Hotel for opening up their public spaces for visiting lineman to sleep in air conditioning on the floor instead of in their trucks.
Businesses to the right include the Poole Livery Stable and Warren Heintz Livery Stable ... both continue to be prominent names in our community.

Looking from Gibson Street, one can see there does not appear to be any buildings across Boston Street. There also are no Ford F-250s or Toyota Tundras trying to park ; )
City Hall is open, regular hours.
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Rooted in History, Focused on the Future
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