In Baton Rouge, a person was found dead inside their flooded and abandoned vehicle this morning after massive amounts of rain drenched the area. The car was located on Bluebonnet Boulevard near the Mall of Louisiana. Tow trucks were working to remove a pile of abandoned vehicles that passengers escaped from last night and discovered a body in one of the vehicles. And in West Baton Rouge parish state police say a man was killed when the vehicle he was in submerged in a canal off Highway 415, a second passenger remains missing.
State Climatologist Barry Keim says Louisiana has seen its share of major flood events in May. He says the two that come to mind are the May 3rd flood in 1978 in New Orleans and the May 8th to 10th 1995 flood in Slidell.
More rain is expected in the state until Thursday.
Lake Charles recorded their third heaviest rainfall in history according to the National Weather Service. Mayor Nic Hunter says it was 264 days ago that the city was hit with Hurricane Laura, then just over a month later Delta. Hunter says it’s ridiculous that they have yet to receive comprehensive federal response to the 2020 hurricanes.
Hunter says some residents face renovating their homes for a third time in less than a year.
State Fire Marshal’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue the weather event is expected to last at least another day and she’s urging residents to stay off the road if they can and stay away from any flooded streets.
The Fire Marshal’s office and Wildlife and Fisheries reported more than 200 rescues.