cut 30 wind
That’s the sound of wind whipping through Lake Charles as Hurricane Laura is roaring through southwest Louisiana after making landfall early this morning in Cameron as a Category Four storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. A news crew from Mobile, Alabama has released a video that shows part of the roof being blown off the Golden Nugget casino in Lake Charles.

The entire Louisiana National Guard has been activated. Sergeant Denis Ricou says they have plenty of food and water to take care of storm victims…
cut 6 (08) “….to eat”
Water rescues will be likely. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says Urban Search and rescue personnel have come in from other states…
cut 15 (10) “…work with”

Laura has weakened to a Category Three hurricane as the center of the storm is 30 miles north-northwest of Lake Charles. An estimated 300-thousand households in Louisiana are without power and those power outages extend into northwest Louisiana. Desoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson says he usually sends a group of deputies to the coast when a hurricane hits, but not this time…
cut 12 (13) “…case”

Governor Edwards says the state has made progress in its fight to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, but he’s extending Phase two restrictions for another two weeks through September 11th. Edwards says he wants to see how the return of the school year has impacted the spread of the virus…
cut 7 (13) “…positivity”
Edwards says it will be difficult to keep track of the virus as testing will be reduced due to the storm.