Northward Bound: Evacuating to Shreveport-Bossier
When contemplating an evacuation route for your family during hurricane season, few places rival Shreveport-Bossier City and all its amenities. From the solid infrastructure to the numerous hotels, the diversity of shelters, emergency preparedness leadership, dedicated faith-based and nonprofit groups, accommodating city officials, and varied family activities, Shreveport-Bossier has it all.
Shreveport-Bossier is also a marvelous destination for visitors any time of the year, with numerous attractions including the Louisiana Boardwalk, which is the largest outlet, dining, and entertainment destination in the state featuring 50 acres of riverfront space; and the 10-year-old Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center, with its 92,000-square-foot screen and entertainment center featuring more than 290 science, math, and space exhibits, the world’s first interactive laser Space Dome Planetarium with a state-of-the-art 16-million pixel laser projection system, and an IMAX dome theater.
From great hotels, shopping, and dining to a vibrant casino district, and myriad kid-friendly attractions including Kid City and beautiful parks, Shreveport-Bossier is an unparalleled metropolis.
Straddling the Red River, Shreveport-Bossier is known as “Louisiana’s Other Side.” With an interesting mix of modern convenience and natural beauty, it has the infrastructure and hotels to handle large numbers of evacuees, and the attractions to entertain.
“If people are going to come to our city, we are going to roll out the red carpet and do everything we can to make them feel at home,” says Tarah Holland, public relations and social media manager for the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau. “Mayor Cedric B. Glover has taken hurricane evacuation very seriously. He has made it a priority,” she points out.
“Last year during the hurricanes, the Mayor did a community-wide effort that pulled together nonprofits, faith-based community groups, and even the casinos. We had local restaurants that catered, we built showers at our fairgrounds area, and we also got the superintendent to open up the showers at the local schools. We ran buses that took people to Wal-Mart and rode them around town. Our local sororities and libraries did activities for kids, and the fire department set up triage. We provided medications for people who needed them, including dialysis. We had people that actually stayed after the hurricane,” she remarks. “Sandy Davis has rolled out a plan for this year’s hurricane season.”
The Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for Caddo-Bossier parishes, Chief Sandy Davis is also co-chairman of the Louisiana State Shelter Task Force. “We have the infrastructure in place to support a mass influx of individuals who seek shelter,” Chief Davis says. “Typically, what happened in the past, we would be on a conference call, they would call and tell us that they had five buses in New Orleans, and we’d do it as the evacuation was taking place,” he explains. “This year we are doing the point to point system. We are partnering parishes for the first time. People will know where they are going. We have all the parishes partnered with receiving parishes, and we have host states that have agreed to take our evacuees,” he reveals.
“We will be contacting our counterparts in each parish. GOSHEP, or the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness, successfully evacuated 1.9 million people during hurricanes Gustav and Ike,” Chief Davis points out. “We are the leaders of evacuation in the United States,” he says. “Shreveport hosts a very large number of evacuees in our hotels. We have family ties to south Louisiana. If you get outside the New Orleans/Baton Rouge area, Shreveport-Bossier is the largest area. We are accustomed to having our neighbors in our hotels. They see our attractions and can maintain some normal structure in their lives.”
Everyone should establish an emergency preparedness plan for themselves and their families, according to the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (318-425-5351; ready.gov). Those interested in booking hotels and motels, bed and breakfast accommodations, campgrounds/RV parks, casino hotels, full service and limited service hotels should visit shreveport-bossier.org.
Aside from hotels, Shreveport-Bossier offers several types of shelters. “We have mass shelters in the event that you can’t afford the hotels,” Chief Davis says. “We support a general population shelter where they are self-sustaining; all they need is a place to sleep. The other type is a state support critical transportation needs shelter (CTNS). They depend on public transportation. It is supported by the Department of Social Services and the Department of Human Resources. They have the ability to entertain and also offer recreation for the children,” he explains. “There are parish pick-up points in south Louisiana,” he says. “The third type is the pop-up shelters and nonprofits that are faith-based, usually auditoriums and gymnasiums. People usually know where these places are. Our area is able to embrace and support a mass evacuation.” For those interested in the status of shelters during a hurricane evacuation, the statewide help number for state police and evacuation routes is 211, according to the Mayor’s office.
Families scrambling to book hotel rooms with pets on board during an evacuation are often at a loss. Pet-friendly hotels in Shreveport-Bossier include the Candlewood Suites Hotel (318-635-0862), Ramada Inn Shreveport (318-631-2000); Holiday Inn Express Hotel (318-686-8328); La Quinta Inn & Suites Shreveport Airport (318-671-1100); Residence Inn Shreveport Airport (318-635-8000); Holiday Inn Shreveport West (318-688-3000); Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Shreveport (318-629-0163); Shreveport Super Motel (318-635-8888); and 2439 Fairfield ‘A Bed and Breakfast’ (318-424-2424); or go to dogfriendlyhotels.org, (877-477-8008).
For extra special dog care while in Shreveport, check out the White House Kennel (4330 Greenwood Road; 318-629-3005), an all-inclusive pet hotel featuring overnight boarding in climate-controlled rooms, or in one of four luxury bedroom suites; in-room dining twice daily, spacious patios, and play time in dog parks (plus extra hugs).
To entertain restless children, head to Kid City (5720 Buncombe Road; 318-683-1149) where there are arcades and party rooms amid a three-story playground, a Kid Café Theater, and a Playscape. Moms can browse on their laptops while enjoying coffee at the café as the children explore the various activities. The Louisiana Boardwalk on the river (390 Plaza Loop; Bossier City; 318-752-1455) is a great place to stroll around with children, with its carousel, trolley, and build-a-bear shop, among other attractions (it has the state’s first Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World). At Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center (820 Clyde Fant Parkway; 318-424-3466), kids enjoy live presentations and traveling science exhibits, a 40-foot domed digital planetarium, and 90 new hands-on exhibits in space science, astronomy, and math.
Adults will enjoy the Robinson Film Center (617 Texas Street; 318-424-9090) located in the West Edge Arts District in downtown Shreveport, which highlights independent, international, and classic cinema and also features the popular Abby Singer’s Bistro. Since opening in May, it has hosted special screenings featuring Olive Stone and Val Kilmer. “Dozens of films were shot in Shreveport after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005,” says Tarah Holland of Shreveport’s thriving film industry. “This included Soul Man with Bernie Mac and Samuel Jackson, Mad Money with Diane Keaton and Katie Holmes, Mr. Brooks with Kevin Costner, and the HBO series, True Blood.”
After settling into a hotel, evacuees and visitors often seek out good places to eat and shop. One that stands out above the rest is Superior Steakhouse (855 Pierremont Road; 318-219-4123), a popular fine dining experience featuring USDA prime beef, seafood, an extensive selection of fine wines, and premium cigars. On a more casual note, the Wine Country Bistro and Bottle Shop (4801Line Avenue, #14; 318-629-9463) is a good spot to land, featuring a tasting bar and retail store, a rear dining room and patio for al fresco dining, and a menu with an emphasis on wild game and fresh seafood. Cush’s Grocery and Market (9535 Ellerbe Road; 318-795-9006) is a one-stop-shopping venue with a charming café offering lunch and dinner as well as take-out. The menu includes seafood and Angus beef steaks, sandwiches, burgers, and po-boys, pasta dishes (great spaghetti and lasagna for the kids), egg rolls, and boiled shrimp, in addition to wines, groceries, and gift baskets.
Shopping is always a good diversion for families staying far from home. For those moms in search of nice maternity clothes and earth-friendly fashions, Sprout & Co. (4826 Line Avenue; 318-868-7050) is a popular maternity boutique and children’s clothing shop worth checking out. Absolutely Abigail’s (3795 Youree Drive; 318-219-0788) is a marvelous boutique (check out the wall-size billboard of Marlene Dietrich) featuring apparel, gifts, and sleepwear with a dash of southern flair. The unstructured, free-flowing, Art-to-Wear apparel includes art-driven clothing lines.
Visitors can find the latest in trendy threads in Shreveport’s fast-growing retail district on Youree Drive, which has great stores such as Absolutely Abigail’s in addition to DSW, James Avery Craftsman, and Coldwater Creek, to name a few. Shreveport’s Line Avenue features five miles of more than 75 specialty and antique shops, and Louisiana Boardwalk has more than 60 shops with vendors including Nike, Guess, Gap, Banana Republic, Chico’s, White House/Black Market, and Nine West. While there, hop aboard the 1912 trolley, check out the dancing fountains, and enjoy after-hour venues such as the Encore night club and The Funny Bone Comedy Club. With Shreveport-Bossier’s diversity of attractions and accommodations, you will find always something that hits the spot and suits your family’s needs while experiencing “Louisiana’s Other Side.” ✦
