Welcome

This northwest part of Louisiana likes to bill itself as "Louisiana's Other Side," meaning that the flavor of life in Shreveport-Bossier is "a little Cajun," like much of the southern part of the state, and "a little Texas," like the big state just to the west. So it's a mix of diverse and exotic food tastes, wildly different music styles and a relaxed attitude.

Caddo and Bossier parishes fill the corner of northwest Louisiana, with Arkansas to the north and Texas to the west. Bossier (pronounced BOH-zher) City, main urban center in Bossier Parish, snugs up against Shreveport in Caddo Parish, with only the Red River between them. Together, Shreveport and Bossier City make up a metropolitan area of some 375,000 people and serve as a three-state cultural and commercial center for Ark-La-Tex: southwest Arkansas, northwest Louisiana and east Texas.

Living in the Shreveport-Bossier City metro area means enjoying a low cost of living, low taxes, mild climate, top-rated health care, available good jobs, positive business and educational opportunities, and numerous entertainment options. A comfortable, exciting lifestyle is possible here. Riverboat casinos, jazz, sports—major, minor and collegiate—mardi gras, horse racing, the Louisiana Boardwalk, superb eating, fine opera and symphony offerings, rodeo, military air shows and water sports. This is the kind of place where you can afford to do it all.

HISTORY
The Caddo Indian tribe, related to the Wichita and Pawnee, were in the Shreveport-Bossier area first. They tangled with Europeans in 1542 when Hernando de Soto's expedition attacked them. Then, after missionaries arrived, the tribe was decimated by smallpox. Later, other missionaries carrying other diseases created worse epidemics, diminishing the Caddo population down to a bare 1,000. In July 1835, the few remaining Caddo Indians sold most of their land to the United States, and in 1859, they were forcibly relocated by the U.S. government to an Indian reservation in Oklahoma territory.

Shreveport got its name from steamboat captain Henry Miller Shreve. Because he had been successful in pioneering steamboat navigation on the Ohio, Mississippi and Red rivers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hired him in 1833 to clear the Red River of an 165-mile-long continuous pile of organic debris—limbs, brush and logs—called the Great Raft. It clogged the river and prevented boat traffic. Using a specially modified riverboat plus four other steamboats and about 160 men, Captain Shreve cleared the river. That opened the region for commercial development.

The cleared river led to the formation of the Shreve Town Company in 1836, a group of investors—Captain Shreve was one—aiming to develop a new community at the intersection of the Red River and the Texas Trail, an overland trading route into Texas. The community created by the Shreve Town Company was incorporated as the Town of Shreveport in 1839 and the City of Shreveport in 1871. Shreveport originally consisted of 64 city blocks intersected by eight streets running west from the Red River and eight streets running south from the Cross Bayou. Today this 64-block area is Shreveport's central business district and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Because of its location on the Red River, Shreveport quickly became a center for steamboat commerce moving cotton and other agricultural crops grown in the South to major markets on the East Coast. Shreveport also became a center for rebellion during the American Civil War and served as the headquarters for the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederate Army. Shreveport had served briefly as the capital of Louisiana when Baton Rouge was overwhelmed by the Union Army and as the capital of the Confederacy after the fall of Richmond. Confederate soldiers from Shreveport did not give up their fight until June 1865, two months after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox in April.

For many years during the second half of the 19th century, Shreveport profited by being a central transportation hub for riverboat traffic. When that mode of transportation became obsolete and trains connected east and west, Shreveport turned into a central transportation hub for trains. With the coming of interstate highways, Shreveport became a hub city for commercial trucking. In the 21st century, commodities move in and out of Shreveport-Bossier City every day via boat, train, truck and airplane. The Red River shores abound with all kinds of new activity, and residents enjoy peace and prosperity.

Bossier City, smaller than Shreveport and separated from it by the Red River, was originally called Cane's Landing, after one of the Shreve Town Company founders, who had a plantation on the east side of the Red. In the early 1900s, it was renamed Bossier City for Pierre Evariste John Baptist Bossier, a noted figure in the state's early history. It was the site of Fort Smith, a major Confederate stronghold in the Civil War, where a memorial park now commemorates the site. After World War II, the city's population grew rapidly along with industrial growth. Barksdale Air Force Base, established on 22,000 acres of cotton fields at the edge of Bossier City in the early 1930s as the result of concerted action by Shreveport community leaders, is a major source of revenue and employment for the Shreveport-Bossier region.

WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Louisiana is categorized as having a humid subtropical climate: damp and hot. Because the Gulf of Mexico moderates the extremes in the southern part of the state, northern Louisiana is both hotter in summer and cooler in winter. Hot summers range from 72 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit, with winters ranging between 36-degree lows to 57-degree highs. May is usually the wettest month, with five or more inches of rain; August is driest, with less than three inches average. High humidity makes 90-degree temperatures difficult to tolerate in comfort, so modern air conditioning is a blessing all around, especially for anyone just moving to the region.

Storm Country
Shreveport-Bossier can experience big-time storms any time of year. Tornadoes are more likely in spring, severe thunderstorms all summer and stormy wet fallout from hurricanes and tropical cyclones in summer-fall. With storms to be expected, it's important to be prepared for them. A severe thunderstorm can knock out power, bring extreme winds, lightning, flash floods, hail, and turn into a twister in seconds. Pay attention to storm warnings. Remember the rule: "When thunder roars, head indoors." Once inside, avoid electrical appliances, plumbing fixtures and use only a corded telephone in an emergency. Unplug your desktop computer. Do the same with other favorite plugged-in electronics or use surge protectors. The National Weather Service recommends following the 30/30 Rule, which states that people should seek shelter if the "Flash-to-Bang" delay—length of time in seconds from the sight of the lightning flash to the arrival of its subsequent thunder—is 30 seconds or less and remain under cover for 30 minutes after the final thunder clap.

For more safety information, visit to the National Weather Service's website at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov. Shreveport-Bossier is on the edge of Tornado Alley, the track of tornado activity from the Gulf of Mexico north through the Great Plains. Tornadoes can happen when warm, moist air meets cooler, drier air. Being on the edge of such major storm action means that tornadoes can and do happen here, and long-time residents will have tornado stories to tell of twisters going through town or nearby.

Preparing for an Approaching Storm
Listen to weather forecasts and plan ahead. Note the difference between a severe thunderstorm watch—it means one could be on the way or that conditions for it are probable—and a severe thunderstorm warning—it's here, take cover. Same with a tornado watch, conditions favor tornado formation, and warning, a funnel cloud has been sighted, find shelter now.

If you lose power, use flashlights. Do not use candles or kerosene lamps. They can create a fatal safety hazard. Have a battery-powered radio or TV to listen for changes in weather conditions so you know what to do next. Develop a family emergency plan that includes alternative arrangements should you need to vacate any premises because of a flash flood, for instance. For a tornado warning, you need to know the safest indoor space in your house, most likely a basement, if you have one, or a central room without windows, if you have no basement. Make provisions for special needs of any family member such as the elderly, handicapped, medically affected or infants. If you are dependent on electric-powered medical equipment, seek alternate arrangements in the event that your electric service is interrupted.

Keep the Following Items on Hand
• Fresh batteries
• Portable radio
• Flashlight
• Manual can opener
• Matches
• Battery-operated or wind-up clock
• Nonperishable food (canned and dried food)
• Fuses
• Sterno
• Make a list of emergency phone numbers and keep a personal telephone book and one corded phone on hand (cordless and cell phones may not work)
• Keep a first aid kit in your home and one in your car.

Don't Forget to Include
• Scissors
• Safety pins
• Aspirin
• Eyewash
• Rubbing alcohol and/or hydrogen peroxide
• One gallon of bottled water available for each person in the household for each anticipated day without electric service.
• If your home is served by well water, fill a bathtub with water for sanitation use.
• Keep cash on hand.

Protect Your Food
To protect your food, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Food will stay frozen for 36 hours or more in a fully loaded freezer if you keep the door closed. A half-full freezer will generally keep food frozen for 24 hours. Consider freezing containers of water ahead of time. The blocks of ice will help keep your food frozen longer.

During a Summer Power Outage
• Close all drapes and blinds on the sunny side of your home
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Take your family and pets to a cool basement location. Or consider going to an air-conditioned public place during warmer daytime hours. However, if weather conditions are at the warning stage, stay where you are.

During a Winter Power Outage
Gather in a central room with an alternate heat source like a fireplace, but be sure to keep a screen around an open flame. And don't close the fireplace damper while the ashes are still hot. In daytime, open drapes and blinds to let in any available sun to warm the space. Close them at night to minimize heat loss. If the indoor temperature drops below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, open faucets slightly so they constantly drip, thereby preventing pipes from freezing.

Important Heating Safety Tips
• A fuel-burning heater, such as kerosene, requires proper ventilation to prevent buildup of harmful fumes. Place these heaters on a hard, non-combustible surface.
• Never leave children or pets alone with a portable heater when it's in use.
• Never use a gas range for room heating.
• Never use charcoal as an indoor heating or cooking source.

Generators
Follow these simple guidelines for safe use of your home generator:
• Turn off the main circuit breaker to avoid injuring repair crews as they attempt to restore power
• If you use a generator during an outage, carefully follow the manufacturer's instruction.
• If your generator is to be hooked directly into your home's electrical system, be sure to use a licensed electrician to do the work.

Important Measures To Take for Tornadoes
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes/prepared.asp
• Take a few minutes with your family to develop a tornado emergency plan. Sketch a floor plan of where you live, or walk through each room and discuss where and how to seek shelter.
• Show a second way to exit from each room or area. If you need special equipment, such as a rope ladder, mark where it is located.
• Make sure everyone understands the siren warning system, if there's such a system in your area.
• Mark where your first aid kit and fire extinguishers are located.
• Mark where the utility switches or valves are located so they can be turned off—if time permits—in an emergency.
• Teach your family how to administer basic first aid, how to use a fire extinguisher and how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity in your home.
• Learn the emergency dismissal policy for your child's school.
• Make sure your children know:
What a tornado is.
What tornado watches and warnings are.
What county or parish they live in (warnings are issued by county or parish).
How to take shelter, whether at home or at school.

Extra Measures for People with Special Needs
• Write down your specific needs, limitations, capabilities and medications. Keep this list near you always, such as in your purse or wallet.
• Find someone nearby (a spouse, roommate, friend, neighbor, relative or co-worker) who will agree to assist you in case of an emergency. Give him or her a copy of your list. You may also want to provide a spare key to your home or directions to find a key.
• Be aware of weather conditions through the formats that best meet your abilities. Some options are closed-captioned or scrolled warnings on TV, radio bulletins or call-in weather information lines.

What To Do About Pets in Severe
Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
• Make an emergency plan to keep pets safe during a tornado. Find a kennel, crate or cage for every animal you have. Buckets work well for fish and turtles. Keep all of the animal carriers together in an easy-to-get-to place inside the house.
• Choose the safest room in the house for surviving a tornado.
• Make an emergency food supply for the pets in case it is in short supply or hard to find after the storm. Get pull tab cans or pouches for easy opening. Pack a collar and leash for each dog or cat as well. Add extra water to the family emergency supply.

When a Tornado Siren Sounds
or a Tornado Warning is Issued
• Put all pets in cages or carriers and in the safe room when the tornado watch is issued.
• Get all people to the safe room as soon as a tornado warning is issued or a siren is sounded.
• Stay in the safe room for several minutes after the storm. Large tornadoes have a central eye, so more destruction could be coming. After several minutes of silence, carefully open the safe room door.
• Leash all pets when outside after a tornado. Power lines could be down, and dangerous objects will be littered everywhere.

Tips & Warnings
• Practice the emergency weather plan before bad weather strikes. Get pets used to kenneling or being caged during storms.
• There are only seconds to act before a tornado strikes, so don't wait to put pets in carriers. Do it instantly and get them and your family in the safe room.

Hurricanes

Hurricanes and severe cyclonic sea storms often batter the Louisiana coast, creating massive destruction. Shreveport-Bossier is far enough north and inland that the high winds and waves don't reach it directly. However, when such huge sea storms lash southern Louisiana, the northern part of the state can receive torrential rains and serious storm conditions. With extra-heavy rains, consider flash floods and prepare accordingly. Stay alert; keep track of conditions; have a family plan everyone knows; have emergency food, water and equipment as noted above; have a high-ground place to go to; and evacuate if officials tell you to do so.  read more...

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