It’s been one week since Hurricane Laura made landfall in Cameron Parish and cut a line of devastation from Lake Charles to Ruston. The Public Service Commission reports 211-thousand customers are still without power, down from the post-Laura peak of 615,000. Governor Edwards warns many of those are still in the hardest-hit areas.
Nearly all of Winn, Beauregard, Calcasieu, and Cameron Parishes are still without power.
Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford says some areas of his parish could be without power for close to a month. He says Beauregard is your typical quiet rural parish, but there’s a lot of activity taking place now.
Hurricane Laura is estimated to be an eight-to-nine billion-dollar insured loss event, the second-highest in the state’s history only behind Katrina. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says with the mass amount of claims coming into insurers, policyholders need to file as soon as possible.
Cut 9 (07) “…resolve your claim.”
49-year-old George Burns of Melder was shot by a Rapides Parish Sheriff SWAT marksman during a standoff after Burns allegedly barricaded in a home and fired at deputies. After retreating from the home with Burns’ family Rapides Sheriff Chief of Staff Tommy Carnline says deputies called in the SWAT team and negotiators to try to talk Burns down, but it wasn’t working, and Burns began firing at law enforcement.
Burns is in stable but critical condition.