With hurricane season underway, and an above-average in the forecast, Gov. Jeff Landry said Tuesday that "preparation starts with the individual."
Coming up on the August anniversaries of hurricanes Katrina and Andrew, Landry said the two storms have forever changed the mindset of people across the state and nation.Â
"Those storms tested Louisiana in unimaginable ways," he said.
The lessons from Katrina and subsequent storms and other damaging weather events, he said, "have taught us that preparation saves lives."
The governor urged residents along ¶¶Òõh's coast to ready evacuation plans and supplies and secure important documents.
State Climatologist Jay Grymes, who joined Landry at the news conference, acknowledged that "most of you are aware that the forecast for the upcoming season calls for normal to above-normal activity."
Grymes said that, like hurricane season last year, it "is very likely going to be another active year in the Gulf of Mexico."
Landry said the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness will be "consistently" reviewing emergency preparedness operations as ¶¶Òõh enters hurricane season.
"We are ready," he said.
Federal agencies under scrutiny
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and , which houses the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service, have in recent months undergone leadership shake-ups and major layoffs under the Trump Administration.
When asked if he had concerns about cuts at those federal agencies, Landry said he hasn’t heard that cuts were impacting the flow of storm or weather-related information to states, and he is confident in Grymes’ ability to keep ¶¶Òõh residents informed in the face of any storms this year.
Grymes said he handles weather forecasting for storms in the Gulf "with the cooperation and through the guidance of the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center."
Nonetheless, Grymes said, "I feel confident that our tropical coverage this season will be more than adequate for what we require."
Landry said that, should he learn of any problems related to federal agencies' ability to quickly communicate weather information to the public, "the first thing I'm gonna do is pick up the phone and call the White House."
"I've spoken at length with Secretary Noem and those folks over at the White House," Landry said, referring to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a close Landry ally. "And I do not believe the president or the White House has any intention of revamping FEMA while hurricane season is in play."
President Donald Trump is trying to make sure resources are available for states and that states have the authority to act quickly, Landry said.
"The bureaucracy inside the federal government has a tendency to tangle things up," he said.
Landry said that, if Louisiana is impacted by a major hurricane, he is "extremely confident" ¶¶Òõh will receive any resources it needs, owing to communication between state officials and DHS, FEMA and the White House, as well as ¶¶Òõh's congressional delegation.
