By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



As Hurricane Gustav battered southern Louisiana on Sunday, preparations were being made across the county to take in thousands of potential evacuees.

The City of Gardendale responded similarly, opening the doors of its civic center to evacuees with special medical needs.

Civic center director John Brigham said the city signed a contract several years ago to provide a critical needs shelter, and this weekend represented the third time the civic center has been used in that capacity. He said the last time it was used, during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, evacuees stayed at the center for five days.

The civic center had beds for as many as 35 people, but only about 10 evacuees used the facility.

“The city staffs the building 24 hours a day and we have a police officer 24 hours a day,” he said. “We provide hot showers, places for them to sleep, access to the phones and Internet if they have e-mail. We try to keep them as comfortable as we can.”

Brigham, who also spent the night at the civic center Sunday and Monday night, said he received the call Sunday at noon and the first evacuees began to arrive Sunday evening.

Chris Osborne, public affairs officer with the Birmingham Red Cross, said his organization worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to bring the special needs evacuees to Gardendale.

“In a sheltering situation, there are people that have chronic needs that need to be taken care of,” he said.

On Tuesday, most of the displaced residents were huddled around a table in front of a television, watching cable news and trying to find out the latest about what was happening in New Orleans.

Gaylan Martineau, of Metairie, La., is one of the evacuees staying at the civic center with her mother, Sylvia.

“The people in Birmingham couldn’t be any better,” she said. “The nurses and the Red Cross have been wonderful. It’s not home, but it’s as comfortable as they could make it.”

Fifty-seven people from her parish were on a bus that departed Saturday.

“I’ve lived there all my life and never had to evacuate until Ivan,” she said. “What scares me most is now that there’s not much damage, the next time, people may not want to leave.”

Martineau said evacuating is also hard on the elderly, like her mother who is confined to a wheelchair and suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and Diabetes.

Personnel from the Jefferson County Department of Health were on hand at the civic center to assist the special needs evacuees with any needs, from helping them take baths to picking up medications at the pharmacy.

“Basically, they need assistance with their daily care,” said Sherry Lochamy, a registered nurse with the county health department. “Some have lung problems, some are diabetics and some have dementia. The majority of them were probably cared for at home by a caregiver.”

Lochamy said the civic center accommodations, including the showers and handicapped accessible toilets, made it a great location for special needs cases.

“I think the majority of them would tell you they’re glad to be here and safe,” she said. “They’ve been through Katrina and didn’t want to go through that again.”

Other cities in north Jefferson County have also felt the effects from those fleeing Hurricane Gustav.

Fultondale Mayor Jim Lowery said his city was not hosting any evacuees, but hotels in the city were running at full capacity.

The city of Warrior opened the former National Guard Armory and the Warrior Community Center at 5:30 a.m. Monday as shelters for Louisiana and Mississippi evacuees, according to councilman James Jett.

They closed the shelters at noon, but the Warrior Lions Club, area churches and other volunteers remained on standby in case they were needed, according to Jett.

“We were prepared and ready to help those people,” he said.

Gustav, which was downgraded to a tropical depression on Tuesday, is now a rain event pushing off to the northwest, according to local news reports.

Osborne said state officials will be responsible for determining a timeline on when evacuees can return home to Louisiana.

In published news reports, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said business will likely be invited to return today, while residents may be able to return as early as Thursday.