Governor Landry has issued a state of emergency in six parishes in response to the severe weather caused by Tropical Storm Arthur — Avoyelles, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Tammany and Terrebonne. Arthur’s remnants stalled over Avoyelles Parish throughout the day yesterday, dumping about two and a half feet of rain in some places. Louis Coco manages KLIL radio in Moreauville and says the scene was surreal.
Cut 4 (08) “…but are underwater.”
Floodwaters also kept crews in Kenner very busy yesterday morning. Police Chief Keith Conley says several vehicles became stuck in floodwaters near Louis Armstrong International Airport.
Cut 7 (10) “…and emergency vehicles.”
Airport operations continued uninterrupted by the nearby flooding.
The weekend will get off to a rainy start, and it’s not going to get any more comfortable as it progresses. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says after the rain stops, people will be contending with moisture of another kind – humidity.
Today is Juneteenth — the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19th, 1865. While it’s been celebrated for decades by African-American communities, it was only made a federal holiday in 2021. LSU African-American Studies Professor Stephen Finley says while he’s wary that its new status may erode the true meaning, he says he hopes it will help educate the next generation.