re: Slidell- Old Town Flooding

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Flood warning for the Tangipahoa River at Osyka. The dam at Lake Tangipahoa, better known as Percy Quin State Park, has been damaged by the torrential rains from Hurricane Isaac, but is intact, and is not leaking. We are monitoring it. All residents below the dam that live along the Tangipahoa River are being notified of the damage.

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TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. – Residents living along the Tangipahoa River were told to quickly evacuate after a potential dam break at Lake Tangipahoa, a breach that could release a torrent of water south into Louisiana. McComb, Miss., mayor Whitney Rawlings said there was a 50 percent chance the dam would fail. He said it was currently holding, but the concern is that it would eventually give. “What they’re doing now is saying, ‘OK, this thing might go. People need to be moving now in case it does go.’ And lord only knows if this thing holds or not,” Rawlings said. Around 10:10 a.m., a mandatory evacuation was called for areas along the Tangipahoa River from Kentwood through Robert, an area that would affect between 50,000 and 60,000 people. Evacuation routes to get out LA-16, LA-40 or LA 442 to Hwy. 51. Gov. Bobby Jindal has agreed to send over busses to help with the evacuation, Burgess said. When asked where the evacuees would be taken, Burgess said, “We don’t know yet. I just got to get them out away from the river.” Amite Chief of Police Jerry Trabona said officers were going from house to house along both sides of the river, notifying residents of the river threat. “If they don’t have a way out, we will bring them out of there,” Trabona said. Shelters in Tangipahoa Parish have been set up at Hammond West Side Elementary, Hammond Junior High Magnet, Nesom Middle School, Amite High School, Kentwood High School and Natalbany Elementary. The Enterprise-Journal in McComb reported in June that Lake Tangipahoa was set to be drained in order to “rework the dam and spillway valve.” According to the paper, the work was expected to take all winter.

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