Hurricane Delta is a Category 4 storm, but is expected to weaken to a Cat 2 before a projected Saturday landfall in southeast Louisiana. Kevin Barnhart has more.
Cut 1 (29) “ I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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Still too early to say the exact impacts Hurricane Delta will bring to Louisiana, but state and local governments are getting prepared. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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Hurricane Delta is now a Category 4 storm and once again Louisiana is in the crosshairs of this major hurricane. National Weather Service New Orleans meteorologist Kevin Gilmore says before it becomes an issue for the northern Gulf Coast on Saturday, it’ll make an initial landfall in Mexico.
Gilmore says the current forecast shows the storm weakening to a Cat 2 before the projected landfall in southeast Louisiana, but says the impacts will still be a major concern.
Gilmore says the impacts of the storm extend beyond storm surge.
Cut 5 (10) “…of the storm.”
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2020 continues to be an extremely difficult year for most and an active hurricane season is another straw to the camel’s back. Hurricane Laura was devastating for southwest Louisiana and now Hurricane Delta is on track to strike the state. LSU Health New Orleans Clinical Psychologist Dr. Michelle Moore says understanding that an increased level of stress is a normal reaction is the first step towards coping.
Prepping for disaster and a storm’s failure to impact the state is another added stressor. But Moore says to decrease the anxiety you should always take action by preparing.
Cut 7 (08) “…anxious feelings.”
2020 has brought about multiple ongoing complex issues from COVID, to job losses, and political bickering. Moore says we shouldn’t forget that coping with hurricanes does incorporate a sense of finality.
Cut 8 (10)…unknowns to the hurricane.”
Moore also recommends focusing on self-care during difficult times and to reach out to a professional for assistance with your mental health.
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Louisiana’s entire coastline is in the cone of uncertainty for Hurricane Delta which could make landfall on Saturday. The five-day forecast shows a potential landfall near St. Mary Parish. St. Mary Parish Emergency Preparedness Director David Naquin says they are anticipating Delta to weaken before getting to Louisiana…
Naquin says his biggest concern is St. Mary Parish gets hit with a huge storm surge and several inches of rain. He says sandbagging operations are underway
Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness spokesperson Mike Steele says just because it’s October doesn’t mean Delta can not do major damage, so prepare now
This is the sixth time Louisiana has been in the cone of uncertainty during this busy hurricane season.
Steele says they are in contact with the coastal parishes to assess their needs
Cut 12 (07) “…evacuation orders.”
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Private funeral services for Former Louisiana Governor Mike Foster will take place tomorrow morning at his Oaklawn Manor Home. A public military graveside service will be held afterward. Foster was not a career politician as he says in this 2010 interview, he waited until his late 50s before he ran for the state senate
Foster was a millionaire businessman who served as the state’s governor from 1996 to 2004. His grandfather, Murphy Foster Senior, served as governor from 1892 to 1900. Mike Foster said in this 2010 interview he didn’t think much about politics for most of his life