The Caddo Sheriff’s Office is making preparations in the event services are needed here or in south Louisiana after Hurricane Harvey makes landfall, said Sheriff Steve Prator.

Deputies with the Caddo Sheriff’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness have been monitoring the situation and participating in conference calls daily.

“We are sharing information with government agencies in Shreveport and the parish,” Prator said. “At this point, it’s not necessary to do much more than just pay attention to the situation and keep others abreast of the most current information.”

Deputies have participated in conference calls with the Shreveport office of the National Weather Service, which is expecting two to four inches of rain locally through next week, and the Southwest Louisiana Hurricane Task Force, which is managed by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. They report no evacuations or closures in southwest Louisiana and are still monitoring their local situations.

There have been no requests to open shelters in the Shreveport area, although phone calls have been made to ensure this area is ready if asked.  

In the meantime, Prator said he has ordered CPSO deputies who serve on the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Task Force to prepare their equipment in the event that sheriff’s offices in the southern parishes need mutual aid. The department is prepared to send manpower, generators, fuel trailers, boats, and other equipment if needed.

The department’s Marine Patrol has also been put on standby. Both the Marine Patrol and Caddo Sheriff’s Office LSA Task Force members provided critical services during past weather events in south Louisiana.