- 6/3/2025
On Tuesday, Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) held a briefing to discuss hurricane preparedness.
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00:00Yo, come on, Brian, you get up, come on, you're tall, you get in the back of this seat, all
00:20over the place, there you go, all right, okay, is the press ready, all right, well, good
00:28afternoon, I want to thank all of the folks that make up the governor's emergency council,
00:37from Colonel Hodges to General Freelieu to Colonel Clark, and then, of course, our new
00:44GoCept Director, General Mahfouz and Jay Grimes. You know, today we stand on the threshold of another
00:52hurricane season, as we both remember and we prepare. We remember that 20 years ago,
00:58Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew devastated our state, and those are two storms that will forever
01:06change the mindset of folks, not only from Louisiana, but from around the country as well.
01:13We honor those lives, and we both honor and remember those lives that we lost, and the families that
01:19will forever change, the communities that came together to build a stronger, better Louisiana.
01:26Louisiana. Those storms tested Louisiana in unimaginable ways. Not only did those storms, but
01:38the four major hurricanes that followed those storms over the last two decades, in addition to the
01:48the 100-year flood that we had, the 100-year snowstorm that we had, I think the lessons from Katrina and Rita
01:55and all of those natural disasters have taught us that preparation saves lives. And it showed us the strength
02:04that the folks from Louisiana have to be able to rebuild and to prepare for the next event that may come
02:12our way. Since that time, we have worked on improving our emergency response. We have worked on improving our
02:22infrastructure. We have worked on improving our resiliency in our electrical grid and in our communications.
02:30We all know that preparation starts with the individual. And so now is the time that we remind each citizen here in
02:43Louisiana, especially those along the coast, to make sure that you have an evacuation plan, make sure that you secure
02:53important documents and make sure that you check vital supply kits. Our emergency teams, not only here at Gosep, but in each of our
03:03parishes are ready. We have continued to invest in technology that helps us to respond quicker, faster, and be more efficient.
03:13We have increased our coordination across local, state, and federal partners to ensure that our families have even further
03:25protection during natural disasters. We are working closely with the National Weather Service, FEMA, and our parish leaders.
03:34It's why last year we brought in a state climatologist, who you will hear from in just a short few minutes.
03:46And we continue to work with our parish leaders to make sure that they have information in real time.
03:53But again, it's important that you take the responsibility of preparing you and your family in case a natural disaster
04:03strikes the area where you are. Make sure that you're checking on your neighbors. Make sure your
04:08neighbors are prepared. And especially if you live around elderly folks, we want you to make sure that
04:14they are prepared as well. Sign up for our emergency alerts at getagameplan.org. We also encourage you to
04:24download the app. We have many ways under which we can push information to our citizens here in Louisiana.
04:30And I got to tell you, I'm absolutely proud of Gosep and the technology that we have available to our
04:36citizens. It is only good if you use that information. If you take advantage of the app,
04:44if you take advantage of the information that is on our site of getagameplan.org.
04:51So as we begin a new hurricane season, I want the people of Louisiana to know that we are ready.
04:57We are going to be consistently going over emergency preparedness operations here at Gosep.
05:04After this briefing, the press is going to be able to go out and see all of the equipment and talk to
05:11the different cabinet level officials who are engaged during times of natural disasters.
05:18But remember that we should always know that the next Katrina or Rita or Gustaf Ike could be lurking
05:29right or Laura. I mean, the list goes on. We know we know them could be lurking right around the corner.
05:37And so we want you again to be prepared. So sign up, get the app, getagameplan.org.
05:44And let's make sure that we get through this hurricane season together, prepared and safe.
05:53I'll now turn it over to General Mahfouz, who will talk about his role as the director of Gosep.
06:02And then after we're going to hear from Jay Grimes, who's going to promise us that there will be no
06:06hurricanes this hurricane season. At least that's what my hope is.
06:11But again, I do appreciate your time. General Mahfouz.
06:15Thank you, Governor.
06:19Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Governor Landry, thank you for the introduction.
06:23And for your leadership, as the Governor mentioned, planning for emergencies is a continuous cycle.
06:31And we don't take a break from it. We do stop on today, like today, to reflect on
06:36our plans and the validity. I meet with our mission partners and review the rehearsals,
06:43the exercises, and our plans in coordination with all of the emergency support functions
06:51that come together under Gosep during the declared emergency.
06:54As the Governor mentioned, now it's time to plan, or validate your plan, rather.
07:01If you don't have a plan, the getagameplan.org website and the Get a Game Plan app are great tools
07:10for you, whether you're an individual family, our business, or even some of our local communities.
07:16The checklists that are available on getagameplan.org to help you validate at an individual level that
07:23you're ready to evacuate, to shelter in place if that becomes necessary, to prepare for power
07:30outages that may accompany sheltering in place, make plans and preparations for your pets,
07:36and make plans and preparations for our seniors and our minors who may live in harm's way.
07:42Those vulnerable populations that live in West Palm areas are not immune to the devastations caused by
07:52even a minor storm. We get a slow-moving storm that sits over an area for many days,
07:58and we get a deluge of rain. Those can be just as dangerous as a fast-moving storm with high-intensity
08:04winds. So again, your plan, if I were to encourage you to do anything, is to reflect on your plan,
08:12to validate at an individual level, and listen to your parish officials. Your parish officials have
08:19absolutely rehearsed their plans. They've done that in coordination with Yosep. We understand where
08:26their gaps and their seams are and when they will require the assistance of the state, and we're
08:31prepared to step in and help our local communities at that time. We're working closely with FEMA
08:38and prepared for this current hurricane season. The logistics apparatus that kicks in from FEMA,
08:46normally when state resources are overwhelmed, has been validated and pledged to us. We have
08:52commodities now here staged in the state, but regionally at our disposal should we need them.
08:58So in closing, I would just like to say that Yosep as a state agency is prepared for this hurricane season.
09:08The plans that have been rehearsed, that are in place, have been refined, and are ready on the days
09:15where the state will need us, and on the state on behalf of the citizens on their worst day. So as the
09:24Governor said, and I'll re-emphasize it, if you haven't already developed a plan, getagameplan.org,
09:31or the Get a Game Plan app is a fantastic resource for you not only to receive alerts in real time,
09:37but also to develop your plan should you need help in developing them. So thank you. Jay Grimes.
09:45Governor, Generals. Well, thank you for the invitation, Governor, to speak here. Just a couple of
09:50things. First of all, most of you are aware the forecast for the upcoming season calls for
09:55normal to above normal activity. Those kinds of numbers, though, really don't tell the story here,
10:01and I'm not here to alarm you. This is about awareness. Let's look at Louisiana's recent history.
10:08In the last five years, the state has been hit by eight main storms. That includes five hurricanes,
10:15three of which were major hurricanes. That's the last five years. If we look back over the last eight
10:22years, four of those years were years where we had two or more strikes. Now, that doesn't mean that
10:28every neighborhood gets impacted, but it means that the entire state has to go on alert. And so that's
10:34why I want to reiterate what both the Governor and the General have mentioned about personal
10:39responsibility. Your personal preparedness makes it better and makes it easier for these agencies
10:47that help the state respond and recover from these events. Your personal awareness gets us through that.
10:53So just keep in mind, Louisiana is indeed a hotspot for hurricane activity. And we are just as active
11:01as Florida. We just don't have the same length of coastline. So now is the time in the fair weather
11:08to review your plans. Use your experience over the last five years to get yourself prepared
11:15for what is very likely going to be another active year in the Gulf of Mexico. Last year,
11:20there were 18 main storms. Almost half of them ended up in the Gulf. And each one of those,
11:27the state has to start a response activity. So make it easier for the state, make it easier for yourself,
11:34make it easier on your family. Get prepared now. Thank you, Governor.
11:40And again, in closing, I want the citizens of Louisiana to know that as or should storms begin
11:47to approach our coast or as activity heats up in the Gulf, we will continue to make sure that they
11:54are informed with the latest information as we get them. That's why we have Jay here. Again,
12:00though, it's easier for us to push that information to you if you sign up at getagameplan.org or if you
12:07download that app. With that, I'll be happy to take any questions. Yes, ma'am. Ladies first.
12:13Good afternoon. General Hopkins, you mentioned FEMA. But Governor, you would be aware, General,
12:20you would be aware that at the federal level, the president wants to eliminate FEMA, rework it.
12:28Does the state have an idea what FEMA will look like as we move into the heart of hurricane season?
12:35Look, I've spoken at length with Secretary Noem and those folks over at the White House. I will tell you that
12:42our Region 6 FEMA director, Tony Robertson, is a very experienced FEMA official. And I do not believe
12:53that the president or the White House has any intention of revamping FEMA while hurricane season
12:59is in play. However, I do believe that should a state be impacted or say a state like Louisiana be
13:07impacted by a major hurricane, that the ability to have some flexibility in the way that FEMA handles
13:14that response. You may see that. You may see action from the White House that creates more
13:20flexibilities with states. I think that all the president is trying to do is to make sure that the
13:26resources are available to the states are available to the states or that the state has the ability of
13:33actual mission control and the authority to be able to act quickly. What we have seen from the time of
13:42Katrina through now is that the bureaucracy inside the federal government has a tendency to tangle
13:48things up. So I am extremely confident that if we have or if we are impacted by a major hurricane,
13:58that the communications that we have up at the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA and the
14:04White House and our congressional delegation will ensure that Louisiana's will receive the resources
14:09they need. I don't know what added responsibility that would be. But again, I think it's important
14:20that the states have always maintained the first responsibility anyhow. And it was then a reimbursement
14:27from FEMA irrespective. So again, I feel very confident that we're ready for this hurricane season.
14:34What is it? Mine's a corollary to that. The National Weather Service had a series of cutbacks.
14:41I believe the number was 600 jobs lost since January 20th. You mentioned them also in the
14:48follow-up on the FEMA angle. How confident are you that Louisiana will get the support when there's
14:54a storm in the Gulf and help Louisiana be prepared? Well, look, it's one of the reasons that we have a
15:01state climatologist. So if there's cuts being made at the Federal Weather Service or at NOAA,
15:06I'm completely confident in Mr. Grimes's ability to give us accurate information. I have not heard
15:14from anyone that those cuts are impacting the information that would flow up to the states or
15:20flow down to the states when storms are approaching or weather is affecting us. I think that we saw
15:27very clearly the advantage of having a state climatologist in the recent 100-year snow event
15:36that we had. I think that, you know, hurricanes are things that we can see much further out. I thought
15:42that the state did an unbelievable job. I thought our citizens did an unbelievable job of listening
15:47and adhering to warnings in an event that was extremely hard to predict. I think that that is
15:53a great bellwether to see how prepared we are to handle events when Mother Nature comes calling.
16:01Is the state climatologist ready to take on the responsibility of forecasting when the storm is in the Gulf?
16:07Well, I do it with the cooperation and through the guidance of the National Weather Service
16:12and the National Hurricane Center. And I feel confident that our tropical coverage this season
16:17will be more than adequate for what we require. I wonder if any of the folks up there could talk
16:24to us in general terms about that display of equipment apparatus, technology in the parking lot,
16:32and the upgrades that we've seen in the 20 years since Katrina that are on display out there today.
16:37Yes, sir. I can do it right here.
16:41Okay. They want you to do it. See how they complain? You got to be careful. You want to make them happy.
16:48First lesson, he's happy. I appreciate the question, sir. So outside of our doors in the
16:53parking lot adjacent to the building, it's a representation of all the emergency support
16:58function apparatus. And it's just a small illustration, physical illustration of capabilities that those
17:05agencies bring to bear during an emergency. It also gives us the opportunity to reflect on the
17:11interoperability advances that have been made since Katrina. The advent of the L-WIN system,
17:18the advent of drone technology, robotics, predictive analysis, and the mobile command centers that just
17:26didn't exist 20 years ago during Hurricane Katrina. So I don't know if that adequately addresses your
17:32the questions you had, sir, or if you were something specific.
17:35In terms of, you know, a lot of lessons were learned during Katrina, obviously, in the types of
17:41equipment that we had and the types of equipment that we didn't have, such as a fleet of high water
17:46vehicles, a fleet of boats, for example. So when you look at everything out there, what are some of the
17:55upgrades that you see in terms of the equipment that's out there?
18:00I mean, to me, one of the biggest lessons that I've learned as governor was during Hurricane,
18:06I think it was Francine, right, that affected us last year. It's not so much the equipment that you
18:13see out in that parking lot, which is important if other systems fail, but it's the ability to predict
18:20or to understand when systems are failing. Last year, I think, was the first time when
18:27this agency has interacted with the sewage and water board in conjunction with the Corps of Engineers
18:34as Francine impacted New Orleans. Those are all things, those are lessons that we took. In fact, we're
18:41working through a very common operating picture that will give us the ability to understand if rainfall
18:48affects this particular area of Louisiana. What are the drainage systems that are in place to be
18:55able to handle that type of rainfall? We're working with CIPRA as well to understand when a storm surge
19:03impacts certain areas of the coast, what are we looking for from a resource standpoint? I think the
19:09ability to move those resources closer to the area that will be impacted without impacting that resource is
19:18vital to improving the timing that we can get resources to our citizens. To me, that's the lesson. How
19:27can we do it in a manner that brings the resources to bear as quickly as possible and to bring our citizens
19:35the relief needed as quickly as possible? Yes, ma'am.
19:39Yes, following up on the Doge charts in regards to the National Weather Service, I know hurricanes are a
19:45little bit more predictable because we can keep them farther out. However, recently we've had a lot of tornadoes in our
19:49nation that have come quick and fast from what people have said. Do we think those cuts at the National Weather Service
19:55Weather Service are able to get the information out quickly to citizens? I don't. I mean, those are
20:03questions I guess you'd better ask either the White House or that agency. Look, again, I feel very confident
20:12in the fact, again, it's one of the reasons that we have a climatologist here. Certainly, if Jay believes
20:18something is being impacted at the federal level and he notifies me, the first thing I'm going to do
20:25is pick up the phone and call the White House. We have time for one final question. Yes, sir.
20:29Looking back at between or two years ago, I have a two-part question here. A, is it correct to assume that the
20:35biggest culprit of all the damage in New Orleans was the failure of the levees? And if so, are the
20:41lethal levees, are they ready to withstand another powerful hurricane should one come this way this year?
20:48Look, I think it's not only the levees. You got to remember, like we concentrate on the levees because
20:53the levees did fail. We know that the Corps of Engineers with federal money completely rebuilt
21:02the system and continue to strengthen that system as well. But we've got a number of pumps that help
21:09to move water off of the streets and the neighborhoods of the city of New Orleans, which pose dangers as well.
21:16We get a report from the Corps of Engineers because they maintain and help us operate
21:21those pumps. Last time I checked an email that I got from Colonel Jones, I believe that they've been
21:26able to refurbish or repair all of the pumps. And I believe they have them all online,
21:32all online in by the time that hurricane season started a couple of days ago. So again,
21:40I am as confident as we could be. Nothing is a hundred percent in this game, but we continue to
21:47look around every corner. We continue to turn every leaf. We continue to turn every stone up to make
21:54sure that we are prepared and we just continue to overlook our plans. But again, let me go back and
22:01turn this back. The best way that our plan works is if the citizens of the state are as prepared as we
22:08are. So again, if you heed the warnings that your local officials give you, if you prepare, get your
22:13evacuation plans in order, if you sign up for getagameplan.org and you go through those lists
22:20to see what in those checklists are applicable to your conditions, whether it's a family, individuals,
22:26seniors, your pets, whether you need special medication or not. We have gone through these
22:33checklists and built those checklists in order to help families and citizens prepare for when that
22:39emergency comes. So again, the best plan is the one that our citizens prepare and the ones that we're
22:46able to implement for them once they are prepared. Thank you.
22:58It's been more than three weeks since the escape at the Orleans Justice Center. Two inmates are still at
23:06large. And this is for you, Colonel Hodges. Are you satisfied that everything is being done that can be
23:13done to find these escaped inmates? And number two, what do you make of the video that was released
23:20yesterday from Antoine Massey trying to plead his case? Well, look, first of all, I think it's important
23:28that the citizens of the state have an appreciation for the amount of hours and work that the men and
23:33women both at the local, federal and state level have played in apprehending eight of the 10 fugitives.
23:41These are 10 very dangerous people that eight of them have now been brought back into custody.
23:48They did not leave that jail with the intent of being captured, right? So again, the two that are
23:56left out there, the other eight were, were all trying to evade law enforcement. I am extremely confident
24:03that the Louisiana State Police in conjunction with our federal and local partners are going to
24:08and pick up the other two, and hopefully shortly. Colonel Hodges?
24:12What did you make of the video?
24:17You know, if they were truly interested in helping us, they would have probably sided with the reward
24:22money instead of posting something on an online platform. All tips, all leads are investigated by law
24:28enforcement. As the governor already mentioned, local, state and federal partners, we're all working
24:33seamlessly together. And obviously that did not prevail to be a lead that he was there. Regarding
24:40his innocence, everyone has the opportunity to go to court and to have their day, but you can't do it
24:45when you leave from being incarcerated and then now you're escaped. So I would just encourage everyone,
24:51as we've had before, if you have a tip or a lead, please reach out to Louisiana State Police Fusion
24:56Center, the FBI, the ATF, of course, our great partner, Crime Stoppers, who's provided many leads
25:03and help. It's $50,000 per capture for each of the remaining two. And I would ask the public's help
25:10again, no matter how confident we are in our investigation, things change in a moment's notice.
25:15And it's usually because someone has helped them. I believe we have 14 people at this time
25:21incarcerated for helping those escapees. We just ask to do the right thing for public safety.
25:27Make the call to one of the state police, FBI, ATF, or our Crime Stoppers. Provide us that lead.
25:33Don't get online and try to get clicks and shares on one of your platforms. Just contact law enforcement.
25:39You'll make your community safe. More importantly, we'll bring those two fugitives back to justice,
25:45and they will be brought back safely. Everything that is forwarded to us helps.
25:56We think sometimes, though, it's a distraction. We know it's entertainment for the public,
26:02or it's interesting. I believe everybody in this room and everybody outside, for the most part,
26:07wants the same thing, to bring the two fugitives back so we can continue to have public safety
26:12across Louisiana. More importantly, those communities where they have family and friends
26:18who are producing the online information. But obviously, it's helpful if they were still there,
26:24but if they're not there, then it really doesn't help us bring them to capture. And to talk about
26:28charges, that's for a judge and a jury to decide when they have their day in court. Thank you.
26:34And let me just say this to follow up. There's no doubt he's certainly not innocent
26:39for escaping out of jail. Okay? And let's just start with that. If you want to pledge innocence,
26:47like Colonel Hodges says, there's a court of law that's designed to be able to do that.
26:54What I would urge is that those two, quit the hide-and-seek game that we're playing,
27:02turn yourself in, and you'll be able to have your day in court.
27:07My hope is that we are able to either they turn themselves in, or we are able to safely pick them
27:13up without anyone being injured. So again, we ask the public to help us. We can close this out
27:19by finishing up with the rest of those two individuals. And I'm hopeful that we bring them
27:26to justice here swiftly. Thank you for your time.
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