In anticipation of the possibility of severe weather this weekend, Parish President Richard “Ned” Thomas Jr. released the following statement:

“As your parish president, I would like to ensure all citizens of Washington Parish that my Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness office is and will continue to monitor Tropical Storm Harvey, which is expected to become Hurricane Harvey by Friday evening.

“Although Harvey is forecast to make landfall in Texas, Louisiana could receive some impacts as well. As of today, we are coordinating with the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness through conference calls. At my direction, our office will post updates to the Washington Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Facebook page, along with the parish government web page.

“Harvey or its remnants could very well bring Washington Parish heavy rains next week, so you should always remain prepared during hurricane season. Let me assure you that the parish government is prepared and that sandbags are ready and will be made available if necessary.

“All residents, if you haven’t already done so, should be preparing and as always have an emergency plan in place. Now is the time to make sure your generator is in working order and that you have all the necessary supplies you may need for seven days.

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