JOINT INFORMATION CENTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 12, 2008

Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration News Update

PLAQUEMINES PARISH OFFICIALS REPORTING LEVEE Breach NEAR SCARSDALE

BATON ROUGE -- State and Plaquemines Parish Levee officials are reporting a levee Breach on the east bank of Plaquemines Parish near the town of Scarsdale.

The Breach has been reported by Plaquemines Parish officials to be approximately 50 ft wide and five feet deep.

Contractors hired by Plaquemines Parish to re-enforce levees in the area are working to close the Breach using sand bags and heavy equipment.

Weather conditions will not permit the use of helicopters to drop large sand baskets into the Breach.

More information will be released as it is obtained.

For the latest information on Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, you can visit emergency.louisiana.gov or call the state's emergency hotline at 1-866-288-2484 to listen to a recorded message with the most up-to-da! te information.

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