The massive flooding not only displaced thousands of families but ruined hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crops. Don Molino has more…
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If you had uninsured property destroyed by floodwaters this year, you’re entitled to a refund of the state sales tax on those items. Michelle Southern reports…:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge was a shelter for displaced flood victims and now one of its properties near the movie studios has become a multi-agency disaster warehouse. Mike Steele with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says people making large donations should call ahead of time to make sure that someone is there to help unload.
Steele says people can call 225-800-2227 to arrange a drop off any day between 9am and 5pm. He says they really need snow shovels, which are good for removing debris, but they are accepting a wide variety of items.
Steele says they also need blankets, cleaning supplies, flashlights, batteries, and new kitchen items. He says right now they do not need any new or used clothes.
Steele says people can find a complete list of needed items at emergency.la.gov, as well as an address to ship donations.
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Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies are now in the southern part of the state to assist officers after the historic flooding. Lt. Dave Faulk says they’ve been helping throughout the disaster by bringing in amphibious vehicles and boats. He says they want to help their fellow officers during a difficult time.
The flooding has impacted the homes of deputies in East Baton Rouge and Livingston Parishes, with many patrol cars flooded out. Faulk says they are really hurting for manpower right now…
Faulk says the deputies will patrol areas where there has been looting.
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The historic flooding in the southern part of the state not only destroyed thousands of homes but greatly affected the agriculture business. Ag Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain says farming is a 13 billion dollar industry in Louisiana and 28 to 30 parishes were hurt by the massive rainfall.
Strain says those are preliminary numbers and expects total losses to be anywhere from $150 to $200 million, if the rain stops now. He says some farmers have crop insurance, but not all commodities or parishes allow insurance.
Strain says livestock and crawfish are not covered under crop insurance. He says they don’t have the exact numbers on how many livestock died during the flooding, but they have aircraft working to connect lost livestock with their owners. The commissioner says the flooding has also caused a severe increase in the mosquito population.
Cut 11 (11) “encephalomyelitis”
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If you had uninsured property that was destroyed by floodwaters this year, you’re entitled to a refund of the state sales tax on those items. State Treasurer John Kennedy says this applies to the parishes that were federally declared disasters during the March and August floods…:
To learn more, visit latreasury.com and click on Sales Tax Disaster Relief. Kennedy says it may not seem like much, but every little bit helps and the money will really add up…:
Claims should be filed with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Kennedy says the secretary of that department can waive documentation requirements if original receipts are not available. He says right now people need all the help they can get…:
cut 14 (05) “little bit helps”
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Tropical Wave 99-L remains poorly organized as it moves toward south Florida, but forecasters are concerned it could possibly develop into a named storm if it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Alek Krautmann is with the National Weather Service in Slidell…
It’s possible the tropical wave could fall apart. But Krautmann says it’s worth keeping an eye on, especially if the cluster of thunderstorms can stay together as it continues to move in northwest direction…
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