Public Assisted Evacuation and Medical Needs
For individuals who do not have access to their own transportation out of the parish, they can use Public Assisted Evacuation. Public Assisted Evacuation will only be available in a mandatory evacuation and may not be the most comfortable way to evacuate. If you need to use Public Assisted Evacuation, Jefferson Transit buses will pick up individuals and their pets at all bus stops across the parish. Then you will be brought to a centralized location where you get onto buses, trains or planes to be evacuated to large shelters in Northern Louisiana or a surrounding state. You won’t have a choice in what shelter you go to. You will be brought back to Jefferson Parish through the same system, once it is safe to return to the parish.
Public Assisted Emergency Evacuation Exercise Video:
The Jefferson Parish Department of Emergency Management, along with other Jefferson Parish departments and partner agencies conducted a Public Assisted Evacuation Exercise on May 5, 2023. The purpose of this exercise is to test each agency’s plans to evacuate the citizens of Jefferson Parish ahead of a disaster. The Jefferson Parish plan for assisting citizens with transportation needs during an evacuation is tested and exercised once a year. Approximately 50 volunteers participated in the exercise as citizens who would be evacuated. Participating agencies processed general population, special needs citizens and pets needing public assistance to evacuate the area.
Medical Needs:
If you have a medical or mobility need and cannot get to a bus stop, you may enroll in the Jefferson Parish Medical Needs Registry at https://forms.juvare.com/forms/9f2f129b-75b4-4b42-9866-eb3316090e79. Registering online is the best way to enroll, but if that is not available you can call 504-323-1818 and leave a message. We will contact you once we have received your application to let you know if you qualify to be picked up at home during a mandatory evacuation. The Jefferson Parish Medical Needs Registry is not a guarantee of services, and the best method of evacuation is with your loved ones.
Pets:
Most pets can be evacuated with their families. Please bring your pet on a leash or in a carrier with you to the bus stop. You will also want to bring the pet's medications, food, and vaccination records.
Items Not Allowed at Public Assisted Evacuation Sites:
All citizens entering the Public Assisted Evacuation must adhere to the following conditions:
- One suitcase or clothing bag per citizen that is no larger than 30” x 16” in size. All baggage must sit in the citizen’s lap and cannot be placed in the aisle of the bus.
- No pets of any type are allowed on the buses, unless they are placed in a cage or kennel.
- No weapons of any kind, including firearms, knives, mace etc. are allowed on the buses.
- No illegal drugs or substances are allowed on the buses.
- No alcohol will be allowed on the buses.
- No ice chests except those that are one gallon in size and smaller will be allowed.
- No other items such as chairs, large radios etc. will be allowed on the buses unless contained in the one 30 x 16-inch suitcase allowed to each evacuee.
- No smoking will be allowed inside of a bus at any time during the evacuation process.
JEFFERSON PARISH RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DENY EVACUATION TO ANYONE THAT VIOLATES THESE RULES OR IS UNRULY OR UNCOOPERATIVE.
Transit Evacuation Map: