The number of Isaac evacuees has dropped substantially from a peak of 1,800 people at the Jewella Avenue state shelter, but do not look for that figure to go much below a thousand evacuees anytime soon.
The remaining people at the shelter are from Plaquemines and Saint John the Baptist parishes, two places hit very hard with flooding. Until conditions are safer back home they will be forced to stay in Shreveport.
Sandy Davis with the Bossier-Caddo Office of Emergency Preparedness said that while people are still relocated in Shreveport they are doing everything they can to keep them occupied and as interested and comfortable as possible.
"We're looking at children's activities. We've had organized activities, but we're starting to look at bouncy houses. And, we're going to work with Sheriff Prater for Sheriff's Town. Maybe Sci-Port to take them down there for that," said Sandy Davis with the OEP.
For now a majority of the more than one thousand people will stay in Shreveport. However, if any of the evacuees have a job to go back to and a safe place to stay, those few could be bused home as early as Tuesday. For the rest, the shelter on Jewella will be home for now. Until the evacuees are able to go back home, officials say community support is crucial.
"We do still need folks in our area to be mindful that we have a thousand people that are in need of some of those items, such as toiletries," said Davis.
Those toiletries include things like tooth brushes, toothpaste, bars of soap, floss and even shampoo. The shelter says they are good on toilet paper, water and food. Shelter officials and volunteers say another item that would help keep people occupied is board games.
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