The hurricane damage is so extensive in Lake Charles that it will be weeks before people can live there again …
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The number of deaths as a result of Hurricane Laura is up to ten as half of those victims died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Jeff Palermo has more…
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McNeese State hopes it can resume on-campus classes in a few weeks after it was damaged by Hurricane Laura. McNeese spokesperson Candace Townsend says they are still assessing the damage, but they know the school’s new health and human performance complex is banged up.
Cut 3 (06) “…water intrusion there.”
Townsend says the school has a newly installed scoreboard at the football stadium that was torn up.
Cut 4 (11)“ …us an assessment.”
Townsend says the school is committed to finishing the fall semester.
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Lake Charles is devastated and Mayor Nic Hunter warns it could be weeks before some semblance of normality returns.
Gator 99.5 Lake Charles on-air personality Buddy Russ says this is way worse than Hurricane Rita in 2005.
Russ says Laura has changed the face of Lake Charles.
The loss of water has led to an evacuation of patients from Memorial Hospital in Lake Charles.
Water lines are destroyed and power is down and there’s no solid estimate on when either will return. Mayor Nic Hunter is asking residents who return to Lake Charles, be prepared to look and leave.
Hunter says the city has been devastated by the strongest storm to hit the state in 150 years, but he’s optimistic that they can recover.
A curfew is in effect across the city.
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Governor John Bel Edwards is surveying the damage in central and north Louisiana today. Jackson Parish Sheriff Andy Brown says he’s never seen a storm impact the entire parish like this one
Brown says the Louisiana National Guard has been handing out water at the Jonesboro Community Center in Jonesboro.
Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau (loo-no) says the lack of water and electricity are major issues for Rapides Parish too…
Luneau says it’s a difficult time in Rapides Parish, but everyone is trying to stick together
Cut 12 (11) “…very encouraging”
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About 102,000 SWEPCO customers are still without power following Hurricane Laura, down from the peak outage of 136,000. SWEPCO spokesperson Carey Sullivan estimates most customers in the Shreveport-Bossier area should have power restored by 10 PM Wednesday and Cenla customers by 10 PM Thursday.
Cut 13 (11) “…to address immediately.”
To make matters worse, many residents who are without power and A-C, while dealing with hot temperatures and scattered thunderstorms. Sullivan says over 3,000 workers have come to Louisiana from 14 states and Canada to help in the restoration efforts, but some of that work may be slowed down by the forecast.
Cut 14 (07) “…our restoration time.”
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Governor Edwards says he’s optimistic that power to most people in north and central Louisiana can be restored in a manner of hours and days, and not weeks which could be the case in the Lake Charles area. In the meantime, he says be careful around downed lines.
The number of water systems not operating statewide has risen to 82, many of them are down as a result of a loss of electricity. Edwards says this is concerning for many health care facilities…