More Than 600,000 Without Power In Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS -- More than 600,000 people in Louisiana have no power days after Hurricane Gustav.

Entergy restored power to 233,000 customers in Louisiana so far, which allowed dozens of business in the New Orleans and Jefferson Parish areas to reopen Thursday.

Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet said nearly the entire parish remains without power after it suffered the most damage since Hurricane Betsy 40 years ago.

In Lafourche Parish, long lines were reported as residents waited for ice, food and other supplies. Lafourche has enacted a boil-water advisory after water systems were damaged in the storm.

St. John the Baptist Parish officials said 90 percent of the parish lost power and sewerage service is unreliable until power is restored. Additionally, the hospital is open for emergencies only. A curfew remains in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. All schools in St. John Parish will be closed this week.

Dairy farmers in Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes who have lost power after the storm can get 100 gallons of diesel per day for running their generators, according to Tangipahoa Parish and state agriculture officials. Dairy farmers must present their permit number at 47076 N. Morrison Blvd. in Hammond

The National Hurricane Center said Gustav has weakened to a tropical depression but is still a flood threat. The weakening comes a day after the storm made landfall in southern Louisiana as a hurricane, delivering a glancing blow to New Orleans but not the devastation seen when Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005.

Early Tuesday, Gustav had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. Slow weakening is forecast over the day. Gustav is centered about 135 miles northwest of Lafayette and moving toward the northwest near 10 mph.

Louisiana plans to spend $20 million to buy 400 generators to help gas stations, pharmacies and grocery stories restart services after the storm hit.

"If we have full power, we can get grocery stores and gas stations back online. It's critical, and the reason we're so focused on power is that it is key to the recovery of our state," Gov. Bobby Jindal said.

Jindal said the state has never given state-owned generators to private businesses before. The generators could be distributed starting this weekend.

"Even before Gustav, we used dollars to allow parishes to buy generators," Jindal said. "Other states have had requirements to have fuel on evacuation routes. One of the things we have to determine is figuring out ways to do this. Unfortunately, this won't be the last storm to come through this state."

Some Parishes Left Out Of FEMA Emergency Declarations

The federal government said it will pay hotel expenses for some of the nearly 2 million people who fled their homes ahead of Gustav, but exactly who will be eligible for assistance and how much it will cost taxpayers is uncertain.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Wednesday in Baton Rouge that FEMA would pay hotel costs "to make sure that people don't feel economic pressure to return home prematurely, before it's safe."

But leaders in Tangipahoa, St. Helena, Washington and St. Tammany were upset after learning their jurisdictions were left completely out of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's emergency declaration. In the latest declaration, Washington and St. Helena parishes were completely left out.

Jindal said his office is pressing the president and federal officials to include the parishes.

Not comprising a part of the emergency declaration means the local governments will not receive reimbursement for storm preparation, payment for help in the debris cleanup and no more money for individuals displaced by the storm, despite mandatory evacuations.

FEMA emergency declarations in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa allowed the parishes to recoup some of the money spent to prepare for the storm, but there will be no money coming from the federal government to help in the cleanup.

However, in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa, there will be individual assistance from FEMA for residents who left under the mandatory evacuation orders.

Parishes Establish Resource Distribution Sites

Lafourche Parish has set up three distribution sites for parish residents: Thibodaux High School's football stadium, Raceland Recreation Center and the Galliano Wal-Mart.

In Plaquemines Parish, the distribution sites opened at 3 p.m. at Belle Chasse Auditorium and St. Patrick's Church in Port Sulphur.

St. John the Baptist Parish announced the opening of distribution centers on Thursday.

Red Cross centers include the Westbank Community Center (173 East 3rd St. in Edgard) will distribute meals, ice and water as supplies last, and Regala Park (194 Regala Park Road in Reserve) will distribute meals and water on the on the Eastbank as supplies last.

Additionally, the following locations will also distribute supplies:

Winn Dixie (Friday only) Ice will be given at 10 a.m. to residents who must bring their own container.

Frank's Supermarket (1709 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace) will distribute meals, ice and water daily from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Gustav Coverage: · Live Coverage | Interactive Radar | Tracker · Share: Photos | Comments | Re-Entry Thoughts · Traffic Cams | WDSU Viewer Photos Developments: · Parishes Announce Return Schedules | More · Some Stores Reopen · Full Coverage | Archive · $2 Billion To $10 Billion In Losses · Gustav Declared "Major Disaster" Elizabeth