Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana - As Tropical Storm Francine approaches the Louisiana coast, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office is taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of its residents. Due to the possibility of inclement weather, the Sheriff's Administrative Office, Tax Office, and non-essential personnel will be closing at noon on Tuesday, September 10. The CPSO Sheriff Sale has also been cancelled for Wednesday, September 11, with normal operations resuming on Thursday, September 12.

Sheriff Gary "Stitch" Guillory stated, "The Sheriff's Office has taken necessary actions in preparation for the possibility of inclement weather, including extra patrols starting tomorrow evening. At this time, as the storm approaches the Louisiana coast, we are expecting this to be a likely rain event for our area with intermittent wind gusts up to 50 mph, and possible flooding."

To mitigate the effects of the storm, the Sheriff's Office has staged high water vehicles and boats in different areas within the parish, on both sides of the river. Residents are urged to stay informed and keep a close watch on the changing weather conditions to ensure their safety.

In preparation for potential flood-related calls, the Sheriff's Office advises residents to stay off the roadways during periods of heavy rainfall. If anyone finds themselves in an emergency or trapped in their home and needs help evacuating or has any other weather-related issues, they should call the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office at (337) 491-3700 or 911 in case of an emergency.

Residents can stay up to date with pertinent emergency information from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office by signing up and opting-in to receive notifications at https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/login.action?pa=cpso.