Calcasieu Parish officials say 70 percent of areas south of I-10 in the region may flood and are pleading with residents to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Laura…
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NOAA predicts Laura will still be a hurricane by the time it makes it up to the Bossier-Shreveport area. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall in less than 24 hours near the Louisiana/Texas border as a strong Category 3 storm. Kevin Barnhart has more.
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A mandatory evacuation order has been called for Calcasieu Parish ahead of Hurricane Laura’s expected landfall early tomorrow morning.
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter was unequivocal in his message that anyone who has the means of doing so needs to get out of the area as soon as possible.
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Those who lack the means to evacuate themselves are being directed to Burton Coliseum via city busses to be transported to a safe area. Due to COVID complications, officials aren’t sure where that is yet.
Laura is projected to be a category three when it makes landfall near the Texas-Louisiana line. Hunter warned it is highly likely the area will see severe damage to critical infrastructure.
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An estimated 70 percent of areas south of I-10 in the region are expected to flood.
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso has ordered a full evacuation of the jail.
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Mancuso says until the storm passes there will be a zero-tolerance policy on illegal behavior, and those arrested will have to ride out the storm and subsequent days in the jail.
The region hasn’t seen a storm like this since Rita in 2005, and Mancuso says that’s led some to forget important lessons from the past. With that in mind…
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Storm surge in Cameron and Calcasieu is projected to reach 13 feet, which according to region officials would be higher than that seen from Hurricane Rita.
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Cajun Navy Relief is activating its team of volunteers to assist in rescues, recoveries, and clean up from Hurricane Laura. From boat crews to chainsaw crews, founder of Cajun Navy Relief Colleen Udell says it’s all hands on deck.
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Cajun Navy Relief has been instrumental in helping with other natural disasters. Udell says this response is going to be a little different as some COVID-19 spread mitigation efforts will be implemented into their operations.
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The group of volunteers work without pay using their personal equipment to provide immediate rescue and relief. For those in the path of the storm that are in need of assistance, Udell recommends calling 911 first, then reach out to the organization need be.
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Udell says those interested in contributing time or other resources to the mission can find information on how to do so at their website, cajunnavyrelief.com.
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Laura is now forecast to maintain hurricane strength through Thursday afternoon as it makes its way into northwest Louisiana.
National Weather Service is projected four to six inches of rain in Natchitoches, Homer, and Shreveport. Caddo Emergency Preparedness Deputy Director Robert Jump says they could see up to eight inches of rain in isolated areas.
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The region could see sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or more, a highly unusual situation that far from the coast. Jump says people need to prepare…
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Jump says Caddo hasn’t seen this kind of storm since 2005 when Rita took a very similar path to Laura.
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Southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas are bracing for the impact of a Category 3 hurricane with the landfall of Laura around 1 AM Thursday morning. Governor John Bel Edwards says while the forecast has remained pretty consistent, the forecasted track has taken a slight shift to the east.
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Edwards says the storm continues to show parallels to Hurricane Rita in 2005.
Edwards urges all of coastal Louisiana to brace for storm surge.
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Edwards encourages residents to be where they will ride out the storm by noon today. Edwards says for the first time, the state is focusing on pre-landfall non-congregant shelter and has booked hundreds of rooms at hotels and motels for sheltering needs.
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LSU is 31 days away from its season opener against Mississippi State. The Tigers are not only getting ready to defend their national championship, but they also must take steps to avoid a coronavirus outbreak within the team. Coach Ed Orgeron says the players have to make a sacrifice if they want to play
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LSU began preseason camp last week and Orgeron says one of the more impressive players is linebacker Jabril Cox, who was a two-time All-American at North Dakota State. Orgeron says he likes how Cox goes about his business
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Cox is expected to be one of the Tigers top players on defense, while Myles Brennan will lead the offense. Two freshmen are battling it out to be Brennan’s backup. Orgeron says TJ Finley and Max Johnson are talented and they have great character and smarts…
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Orgeron says wide receiver Koy Moore, a freshman from Rummel High, has really been impressive during camp.