ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
What happens when people make it out of the devastation of New Orleans and then can't get back? I put that question to another Baton Rouge-based official, a local one. Walter Monsour is the chief administrative officer of the East Baton Rouge Parish, which includes Baton Rouge, and I asked him how many people are now in that city.
Mr. WALTER MONSOUR (Chief Administrative Officer, East Baton Rouge Parish): It's very difficult for us to say at this point in time. For all intent and purposes, we're expecting to either double or triple in size within the next two to four weeks.
SIEGEL: How many people normally are there in Baton Rouge?
Mr. MONSOUR: We have in the greater Baton Rouge area about 450,000 people.
SIEGEL: And the additional influx of people is how many, you think?
Mr. MONSOUR: We could end up probably with a million people within a month to a month and a half.
SIEGEL: A million people. Where does--first of all, where do those extra 500,000--what do those 500,000 newcomers--where do they stay when they're in Baton Rouge?
Mr. MONSOUR: Well, there's obviously been a tremendous real estate move over the last few days. Companies, corporations, professional services--i.e., law firms, accounting firms--are buying houses 40 and 50 at a time, renting office space that's available in lots of 25,000 square feet, 40,000 square feet. Developers and contractors--homing contractors here are buying lots and starting to erect houses as we speak to try to accommodate the influx of the population that we're going to inherit.
SIEGEL: But I can't imagine that there are 50,000 vacant housing units already built, say, in East Baton Rouge Parish, or that many new units that can be built by, well, by November or so. So where are all the people going to be during that time until the units are finished?
Mr. MONSOUR: Apartment complexes. Some are staying with family and friends. Some are renting mobile homes or buying mobile homes, RVs. They're making the adjustments that they need to make to be able to physically live up here on a temporary basis until they can establish a permanent residence.
SIEGEL: If you pick up another--even another couple of hundred thousand people, that's a lot of new schoolchildren that you're getting up there. It's a lot of people in need of hospital beds that are coming there, lot of--more services for the elderly you're going to have to provide. It sounds like an incredible new burden you face.
Mr. MONSOUR: Well, it's going to be a daunting task. Obviously, our infrastructure needs as well as our emergency service needs--from law enforcement to fire to EMS--are all going to expand exponentially.
SIEGEL: And how large--employers are we talking about that are already making their move into Baton Rouge?
Mr. MONSOUR: Well, we're talking in the service firm area probably offices anywheres ranging from 50- to 60-people offices up to 250-people offices. Major corporations or corporate structures are folding in some respects to offices that they have here and vastly enlarging those offices.
SIEGEL: But if those people arrive with their kids, say, can you--are there places in the classrooms for them in Baton Rouge?
Mr. MONSOUR: We are actually enrolling children as of yesterday and today, and will be over the weekend into the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.
SIEGEL: And does--you're going to have bigger classes is all, I assume?
Mr. MONSOUR: That's correct.
SIEGEL: And any projection there from your school board about what they think they can take in?
Mr. MONSOUR: Not at this time. The effort has just begun to accommodate those various facets of life and government that we have to deal with at this stage.
SIEGEL: Well, Mr. Monsour, thank you very much for talking with us...
Mr. MONSOUR: Thank you for your interest.
SIEGEL: ...about what's happening in Baton Rouge. Walter Monsour is the chief administrative officer of the East Baton Rouge Parish. Baton Rouge is, of course, the capital of Louisiana.
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