Much of Tangipahoa and Washington parishes are flooded today, after a storm dropped upwards of 17 inches of water in just 12 hours. Halen Doughty has more…
CUT 1 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Governor John Bel Edwards issues a statewide declaration of emergency in wake of widespread flooding. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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Southeast Louisiana got hit with a lot of rainfall last night. Washington Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Tommy Thiebaud says to put it simply, water is everywhere.
Thiebaud says the Bogue Chitto River is expected to crest at 21 feet, but that estimate keeps rising as more rain is possible. He says they will be monitoring the rivers closely over the next 24 hours. He advises people not to drive anywhere, because many roads are also flooded.
Thiebaud says about a hundred homes have flooded already. He says the sheriff’s office and the fire department are currently rescuing people, and they don’t want to add anyone to that list. He says the water they are seeing is unprecedented in that area. Tangipahoa Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Dawson Primes says his parish is also seeing a lot of water.
Primes says the forecast for the river levels is skyrocketing because of water coming down from north Louisiana. He says they will be doing rescues all day.
Much of southeast Louisiana is under a flash flood watch until Saturday afternoon. Chris Bannan with the National Weather Service in Slidell says rainfall totals varied across the southern part of the state.
Bannan says that much rain was dropped in just 12 hours. He says we could still get up to 5 more inches of rain, which could be an issue for people near the rivers.
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The Sabine River is overflowing in Vernon Parish due to water releases from Toledo Bend causing major flood damage. Vernon Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Kenneth Moore warns everyone located around the river to be careful and they’ve already issued evacuations. He says this is the most significant flooding he’s ever seen.
Moore says they’ve already evacuated about 200 people from the area surrounding the Sabine River. He says the water level dropped overnight in Toledo Bend…
Moore says some flood victims have lost everything they’ve worked for their entire lives. But he says the community is coming together to help those in need.
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The entire state has been declared a state of emergency. Governor John Bel Edwards traveled to Shreveport today to assess the destruction from the storm. He says although they have not come up with an estimate on the damage yet, he expects it to be quite high.
Edwards took a tour of the Shreveport area to meet with residents and see firsthand the devastation caused by the massive storm. He says the cost for reparations may pose a problem for the legislature, given the fiscal deficit the state is facing.
Edwards says the state government has met all of the requests for resources that his office has received. He says unfortunately, Louisiana is well-practiced in this kind of situation. Edwards says he will look to the federal government for additional money and resources.
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Over 20 inches of rain have fallen over north Louisiana causing immense damage. Jonesboro Representative Jack McFarland says areas in Winn, Jackson, and Bienville Parishes have many roadway and bridge closures due to high water and infrastructure failure. He says they’ve placed multiple requests for assistance through the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness…
McFarland says many residents have lost their homes and business due to flooding. He says law enforcement is working to get those in hospitals proper medical care even with the flooded roadways because treatment must continue.
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