St. John the Baptist Parish curfew begins

St. John the Baptist Parish began a curfew at 6 p.m. this evening, according to the parish's website. All residents are advised to stay inside their homes, and all businesses have been ordered closed.

The curfew will continue until further notice.

"I want to applaud our residents and business owners for heeding the warnings and making advanced preparations for the storm," said Parish President Natalie Robottom. "I also want to thank all of our employees and participating agencies for their hard work over the last several weeks, but particularly in preparation for Hurricane Isaac."

The St. John Sheriff's Office currently has 90 police officers on patrol, and the parish has completed all preparations to ride out the storm safely. Government employees will begin damage assessments once the danger has passed, the parish said.