The incoming tropical system will push the Mississippi River to 20 feet in New Orleans, putting levees at risk of being over topped. Matt Doyle has the story.
__________________________
The National Weather Service is Briefing State Officials and Emergency Personnel about the forecast so they can be as proactive as possible to the current situation. Jeff Palermo has more.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
______________________________________________
Cars and homes could be flooded by soon-to-be Hurricane Barry. Here’s some tips for how to respond before and after…
_______________________________________
The Corps of Engineers says heavy rains and storm surge from a tropical system will push the Mississippi River to 20 feet in New Orleans, which could result in some levees being overtopped.
Spokesperson Ricky Boyett says the levee system runs 20-25 feet high, and during the high water period, water will nearly reach the tops as Barry gets closer to landfall in southwest Louisiana.
The river was already sitting around 16-17 feet at the Carrollton Gauge due to historic rainfall in the Midwest.
Boyett says they do not expect potential overtoppings to be widespread, but they’ve begun additional surveying to see if some areas could use reinforcement.
He added that there are concerns at the moment about areas south of New Orleans.
Boyett says the levee system is in good shape and there’s no concerns about the integrity of the levees, so they’ll be focused on potentially increasing the height of certain portions of the system.
Three to five feet of storm surge is expected at the mouth of the Mississippi.
____________________
As the storm moves westward and impacts Louisiana, parishes along the coastline are preparing. In Vermilion Parish they have issued a voluntary evacuation order for low-laying areas. Director of Vermilion Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Becky Broussard says they are expecting plenty of rain .
In Lafayette, parish officials are being proactive and putting equipment into place and lining up first responders. Director of Lafayette Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Craig Stansbury says they are getting two briefings a day from the National Weather Service.
Stansbury says their main concern with this storm is flooding and they want to encourage residents to pay attention to the forecast and not get caught off guard.
Stansbury says even when officials are proactive and close roads due to flooding, first responders still have to put themselves at risk
_____________________
Soon-to-be Hurricane Barry has the potential to flood homes and cars, and Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has some tips on how to prepare for that outcome.
Donelon says first up, contact your insurance company the moment you see any flood damage to insure the fastest possible resolution of your claim.
Donelon says that goes for cars as well, as the 2016 August flood event resulted in 60,000 flooded cars, costing 700 million dollars for state auto insurers.
In addition to filing your claim ASAP, Donelon says you have a duty to minimize your damage after being flooded.
He adds make sure you check any contractor’s certification and Better Business Bureau rating before hiring them to aid in recovery.
Before the rain begins to even fall though, Donelon says make sure you document what your residence looked like “before” the flooding.
_______________________
Soon-to-be Tropical Storm Barry is slinking it’s way west thought the Gulf, on a collision course with the south Louisiana coast on Saturday.
The center of most tracks puts landfall in south-central/southwest Louisiana, but National Weather Service Lake Charles forecaster Donovan Landreneau says it’s too early to be certain.
Hurricane watches are in effect for the Louisiana coast from the mouth of the river all the way to the Texas border.
Landreneau says no matter where the system lands, much of the state will feel the effects all the way through Sunday.
With its snail like pace, Landreneau says the system is set to drop a ton of rain in certain areas of the state, somewhat similar to the tropical system that created the 2016 August floods.