Terrebonne Parish’s Sheriff Tim Soignet says the parish is prepared for Tropical Storm Sally.
The parish remains under a Hurricane Warning issued by the National Weather Service.
Sheriff Soignet said in a meeting with his deputies that there would be zero tolerance for anyone caught looting. He says deputy patrols in the area will double beginning 6:00 a.m. on Monday.
For the safety of inmates and officers, Sheriff Soignet says the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex has been evacuated because it does not have a generator to run the facility’s air exchanger and cooling systems.
“If power is lost there will be safety risks that I am not willing to take,” Sheriff Soignet said. “Temporary placement of inmates has been coordinated with the Louisiana Department of Corrections and we are grateful for their assistance. Inmates will be able to contact family once they are settled into these locations.”
The sheriff also says parish courts will be open on Monday but the administrative office will be closed Monday through Tuesday.
A curfew is in effect for all areas south of the flood control structures and levees. The curfew is from Monday 8:00 p.m. until Tuesday 8:00 p.m.
“People with camps and homes in our vulnerable bayou communities need to be confident that their properties will be secure,” Sheriff Soignet said. “As we did during our last bout with tropical weather, we are setting up checkpoints and our curfew for those low-lying areas will be enforced. Although the main jail is closed, we have booking procedures in place for anyone caught looting, trespassing or committing similar crimes.”
The sheriff urges Terrebonne residents to monitor weather warnings. Residents can find more information at www.tpso.net and www.tpcg.org.