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Beauregard sustains minimal damage from Gustav

Posted September 2, 2008 at 11:24 am
Filed Under Storms | Leave a Comment

BY ELONA WESTON / AMERICAN PRESS

DERIDDER — Gustav caused minimal damage to Beauregard Parish, but did cause widespread power outages in some of the rural areas.

Beauregard Parish had nearly 3,000 outages after the storm passed, yet most of DeRidder kept power.

Utility workers are working to restore power as residents begin trying to resume their everyday lives.

Some businesses in DeRidder opened on Tuesday morning, and traffic through the city steadily increased after 10 a.m. Tuesday as residents returned to the parish.

Most of the convenience stores along U.S. 171 remained closed, awaiting gas supplies.

Jerry DeWitt, the City of DeRidder’s director of community service, said as of Tuesday, the city’s dusk to dawn curfew had been lifted.

He said all city streets were clear.

“Basically, there was no damage in DeRidder,” he said. “We just missed it.”

DeWitt said city firefighters responded to one fire on Monday night that was quickly contained.

He said city personnel spent much of Monday night and early Tuesday, driving through the city and assessing damage.

Garbage pickup in the city will resume on Wednesday.

Routes that were slated for Monday and Tuesday will be completed on Saturday, officials said.

Betty Cunningham, secretary-treasurer for the Beauregard Parish Police Jury, said parish crews are also assessing damage, which she said, was minimal.

Cunningham said as of Tuesday morning, there were no reports of flooding on parish roads.

“As for as we know, we are clear,” she said.

The Police Jury’s meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday will be Thursday, according to Cunningham.

Beauregard Parish schools will also remain closed through Wednesday, but are in line to reopen on Thursday, according to School Superintendent Rita Mann.

She said if the decision changes, parents will be notified as soon as possible.

Mann said there was no damage to parish schools.

The School Board used its buses to help transport evacuees to shelters in the area. Mann said the Central Office staff is working to bring those residents home.

Beauregard Parish Clerk of Court Brian Lestage said the Clerk’s office will remain closed through Wednesday.

He said there was no damage to polling places in the area and anticipates that Saturday’s election will still be held.

Lestage said some polling places do not have power as of yet, however.

“We’re still preparing for the election, unless we hear otherwise,” he said.

All branches of the Beauregard Parish Library will remain closed through Wednesday. According to library personnel, late fees will not be charged on items that were due back this week.