St. Charles emergency officials report higher call volume, urge residents to sign up for alerts ahead of busy hurricane season

St. Charles Parish emergency management officials told the parish council Monday evening that the Emergency Operations Center logged nearly 16,000 calls in 2024—up from a typical 12,000 to 13,000—and that residents should sign up for the parish alert system ahead of a forecasted active hurricane season.

The presentation by the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness covered 2024 incident statistics, flood-event analysis, training and exercises, recent changes to National Hurricane Center products, and tips for residents on staying informed.

Jason Toste of the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness summarized the agency’s data review, saying: “Our typical calls are between 12,000 to 13,000 a year. Last year, we saw nearly 16,000 calls.” He told the council the EOC has kept digital station logs since 2001 and used that archive to classify 283 “unusual events” in 2024, broken down roughly as 35% industrial, 26% weather-related, 21% suspicious…