Living in Hammond
Southeastern Louisiana University is located in the town of Hammond, LA, 55 miles (89km) NW of New Orleans, LA. The population of Hammond is about 20,609. The terrain is flat, and many areas around Hammond are below sea level. Hammond is a small community which after the American Civil War earned the title of the "Strawberry Capital of America". People are very friendly and hospitable. Southeastern is growing at a fast rate, and students enjoy coming to study at a place where they not only find a large group of people, but they can find a family. If you would like to read more about the history of the university, you can visit the Southeastern Louisiana University website.
Community Resources
Utilities
When you sign a lease or housing contract, you should also receive information about which utilities you will need to arrange yourself. You must set up the utilities that are not included in your monthly rent.
If required, you may call these utility providers to set up the service:
- Electricity- Entergy is the most widely used company and services can be set up using their online set up system at Entergy Set Up
- Water/Sewage - Tangipahoa Water District http://www.tangiwater.com/new-service-request
- Garbage/Waste Disposal - Several companies provide this service:
- Waste Management is most common
- Your lease/landlord should give you information on who services the area
Transportation
Hammond is a fairly spread out city with little public transportation. Most individuals that live here own their own vehicles. However, the city of Hammond does offer a bus service. Information on this can be found at http://www.hammond.org/?page_id=5717.
Employment
For information about on and off campus employment for all F1 and J1 status students, please see the information here.
Weather
The temperatures range from average lows of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit to average highs of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more (21-32+ degrees Celsius) during summer and from average lows of about 40 degrees Fahrenheit to average highs of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (4-15 degrees Celsius) during winter. Summers in Louisiana are hot, humid, and long, and winters are mild and short.
Hurricanes are a possibility in this region during the season lasting from June 1 until November 30. Southeastern has a hurricane plan that can be reviewed.
In the event of any inclement weather, Southeastern will communicate with its students, faculty and staff using the Emergency Alert System. To register for alerts, follow the instructions here.
