As Gustav heads toward Gulf Coast, partnerships help to build information portals for community members and response organizations

| 08.29.2008 | 09:43:4614767 |

August 29 '08: State and local officials in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states have begun to make preparations for Hurricane Gustav as it begins to strengthen into a hurricane. In New Orleans, city officials have begun to make evacuation preparations on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Associated Press reported. And in Louisiana, the Getagameplan.org website, the product of a partnership between the United Way, the American Red Cross, the State of Louisiana and the Governor's Office of Louisiana, is live with up-to-date information for those preparing for the storm.

In addition to the Getagameplan website, the Louisiana State Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has a full list of information, inks, and other necessary data to help residents prepare for the coming storm. Meanwhile, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave a press conference with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison discussing emergency operations.

"The National Guard was scheduled to begin convoying into New Orleans on Friday, while some nursing homes and hospitals planned to start moving patients further inland and the state began moving 9,000 inmates from coastal lockups," the AP reported. "The state activated 3,000 Guardsmen on Wednesday, another 2,000 on Thursday, Jindal said," the AP reported. "Jindal said he has ordered 1,500 of them to be in New Orleans Friday."

Similar to the Tropical Storm Fay information website put up by Onestorm.org and sponsored by the Red Cross, a new website has gone online - HurricaneGustavResources.org. Those who visit the Gustav resource site also are able to watch the storm in real-time using StormPulse tracker, sponsored in part by Publix. Additionally, the Red Cross' Twitter feed tweeted more than 100,000 cots, 200,000 blankets and tens of thousands of MREs being moved to projected areas of landfall.

In addition, the Red Cross has their own Hurricane Gustav Newsroom portal for those who want to receive information via RSS or email.

National Blueprint Tags: Legal & Intergovernmental, Communication & Public Information.