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As your parish president, I would like to encourage all citizens of Washington Parish that the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Office is and will continue to monitor Tropical Storm Ida.

As of today (Thursday), we are coordinating with the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness through conference calls. At my direction, they will post updates to the Washington Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Facebook page, along with the Parish Government Facebook page and the Parish Government webpage.

Forecast models for the storm currently have a landfall on or near the Louisiana coast as a Category 2 hurricane. Emergency operations will be directed from the Washington Parish Emergency Operations Center over the weekend and throughout the duration of this weather event.

All residents, if you haven’t already done so, should be preparing and, as always, have an emergency plan in place by noon Saturday, Aug. 28. Now is the time to make sure you have all necessary supplies you may need for seven days, and, if you have a generator and chainsaws, make sure they are in working order.

I continue to urge everyone to remain vigilant and stay tuned to local media.

While it is still too early to determine what our impacts will be, residents should start gathering supplies for their hurricane kit, if they haven’t done so already. Do not wait until the last minute to gather supplies for you and your family.

Lastly, I ask that we all be good neighbors during this time. Check on your elderly and disabled neighbors to make sure they have prescription medications, non-perishable foods, drinking water and a list of emergency contact numbers. Remember that many senior citizens are on fixed incomes and may not have the resources to prepare. If you can help, I encourage you to do so.

This article was written by Richard “Ned” Thomas Jr., who is the Washington Parish President.