Tropical Storm Bertha is making its way towards Louisiana. As of seven this morning, the eye of the storm was located about 100 miles south-southwest of Panama City, Florida, moving northwest at around five miles an hour; and it’s packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles an hour. On its current track, tropical storm-force winds are forecast to reach the southeast Louisiana coast early tomorrow morning.
Major impacts are not expected. St. Bernard Parish Emergency Preparedness Director John Rahaim (“ram”) says they’re expecting some wind and rain.
Cut 9 (08) “…coast of Louisiana.”
The American Red Cross of Louisiana is ready to respond. Kenneth St. Charles, the CEO of the American Red Cross Louisiana Region, says if your family needs to evacuate because of flash flooding and you have nowhere else to go, call the Red Cross.
Cut 11 (11) “…residents of Louisiana.”
The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed its first case of West Nile virus this year. The patient is in Ouachita Parish. State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says most people infected with West Nile do not show symptoms. Around 20-percent develop flu-like West Nile fever, and a very small percentage develop a severe neuroinvasive disease.
Cut 15 (12) “…received organ transplant.”
Those of you in southwest Louisiana who would like more information on the construction of the new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge that’s underway, there’s an open house in Lake Charles this evening that you can attend. John Guidroz with DOTD says people can get an up-close look at what the project entails.