good morning Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish as we prepare for the arrival of tropical storm Francine my office and the mayor's office of Homeland Security and emergency preparedness MF are here in constant communication with the National Weather Service local municipalities and state officials we are closely monitoring the system which is expected to make landfall on the Louisiana coast the main threats from this tropical system include heavy rainfalls strong winds that could cause damage and the possibility of isolated tornadoes it's crucial that all of us take this storm very seriously and begin our preparations immediately I urge every resident to take the following steps prepare a disaster Supply kit as we always say make sure you have enough food water and essential supplies to last at least 72 hours also make a plan with your household when this storm starts affecting our area on Wednesday I want everyone in East bat rou Parish to have a plan to be inside a sturdy structure for the duration of the storm you should also know where to go if conditions worsen and ensure all family members in including pets are accounted for in your plans finally please use the buddy system check on your neighbors especially the elderly or those who may need additional assistance to ensure they are also prepared our city Parish officials and First Responders are already taking action we are clearing storm drains and basins to reduce the risk of flooding and replenishing our stock of sand and sandbags to help residents protect their homes sand and sandbags are available at 8 Breck park locations across the parish including the fairgrounds on Airline Highway Memorial Stadium heartley vay park at gardier alson Park Cadillac street park Doyle's Bayou Park Flanery Road Park and love it Road Park please remember to bring your own shovels to fi sandbags at these locations as we continue our preparations it's important that all of us stay informed please monitor local news channels listen to Weather Radio and follow Red Stick ready on social media for Real Time updates and preparedness tips we are baton rou strong and by working together we can ensure that our community is Red Stick ready and resilient in in the face of this storm please stay safe take necessary precautions and look out for one another