Two people are dead, including a firefighter, after a party bus driven by an illegal citizen slams into several vehicles on Interstate 10 near LaPlace. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________

Registration information will be announced today for the Shelter At Home Program. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (26) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

There was a huge population shift from New Orleans to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina and many are concerned that something similar will happen after these historic floods. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

Two people are dead and over 30 people injured after a party bus driven by an illegal resident smashed into a fire truck and other vehicles on I-10 in St. John the Baptist Parish near LaPlace. State Police Trooper Melissa Matey says the bus hit a fire truck that responded to an earlier single vehicle wreck…

cut 4  (09)  “Toyota Camery”

Matey says one of the fatal victims was District Chief Spencer Chauvin with the St. John the Baptist Fire Department…

Cut 5  (12)  “interstate”

The bus also hit two other vehicles during the crash. A passenger in of those vehicles was also killed, 21-year-old Jermaine Starr of Moss Point, Mississippi. Matey says the driver of the bus did not have a driver’s license and faces several charges, including negligent homicide…

Cut 6 (10) “country illegally”

Matey the passengers in the bus were headed to the Baton Rouge area seeking work in the flood recovery. Two people, including another fire fighter, suffered critical injuries. The other injuries have been described as minor to moderate.

_______________________________________________

The Governor’s Office will announce today where flood victims can go to register for the Shelter At Home program. Julie Baxter Payer says this program seeks to get people back into their own homes as soon as possible.

CUT 7 (09)  “as possible”

Payer says people whose homes had less than two feet of water in them will be eligible, but applications will be assessed on a case by case basis. She says the program awards up to $15-thousand for basic home repairs.

Cut 8 (11) “that program” 

Payer says this program can be used in conjunction with FEMA assistance, flood insurance, and SBA loans. She says applying for federal aid does not register someone for Shelter At Home.

Cut 9 (09)  “this program”

___________________________________________________________

Today is the 11 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and some who lost their homes in Katrina are once again dealing with another flood. Trauma psychologist with LSU Health New Orleans Dr. Jennifer Hughes worked at shelter in Baton Rouge earlier this month and spoke with several people, who moved to Baton Rouge and Lafayette after Katrina and they are once again re-living another disaster.

Cut 10 (09) “of nowhere”

Hughes says the images of this latest flood could be sparking symptoms of PTSD from current New Orleans area residents who are having flashbacks and hypervigilance. She says if anyone feels depressed, the first thing they need to do is reach out to family and friends.

cut 11 (08) “can help”

Hughes says the Capital Area Human Services District provides services to people dealing with PTSD, and community support will also help. She says for those who are personally impacted by these two devastating and life changing floods, this can be traumatizing.

cut 12 (07) “from this”

_______________________________________________________

After Hurricane Katrina there was a huge population shift from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, will we see this trend again after the Great Flood of 2016? Demographer Greg Rigamer expects flood victims to try and rebuild where they lived prior to the flood.

Cut 13 (08) “your home”

Rigamer says in the short term, we’ll see an influx of workers, some will be from out of state. But Louisiana won’t see any population gain because the oil industry continues to struggle.

cut 14 (07)  “either”

Livingston Parish was the hardest hit by the flood with close to 90-percent of the homes in the parish suffered flood damage. Rigamer says the recovery of Livingston will depend largely on what kind of government assistance flood victims can receive.

Cut 15 (08) “the community”

_______________________________________________________

Game week arrives for the 5th ranked LSU Tigers as they are set to face Wisconsin in Green Bay at historic Lambeau Field. It’s the first time the legendary venue will host a college football game featuring two Division One teams. LSU safety Jamal Adams is excited to play in a stadium that has been home to some of the best players in football..

Cut 16  (14)  “leave our mark”

When Packer players score touchdowns at their home stadium, they leap into the stands and celebrate with their fans. It’s called the “Lambeau Leap” and Adams says he might do the Lambeau Leap if he returns an interception for a touchdown..

Cut 17 (11)  “out of me”

Wisconsin was 10-3 in 2015. The Badgers are not known for their passing attack, but their ground game is traditionally one of the best in college football. Adams calls Wisconsin a smart, well coached football team…

Cut 18 (12) “dialed in”

____________________________________________________________________

There’s one more week left in the preseason and there’s still a lot to work on for the Saints. The team fell to 0-3 in exhibition action with a 27-14 loss to Pittsburgh on Friday. Coach Sean Payton says the play of offensive and defensive lines has him most worried..

Cut 19 (12) “very concerning”

The Saints have one more preseason game and that’s Thursday night at home against Baltimore. Payton says they have two weeks left before the first regular season game and there’s still time to correct the mistakes that are being made…

Cut 20 (19) “one game”

The massive flooding not only displaced thousands of families but ruined hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crops. Don Molino has more…

CUT 1 (27) “I’m Don Molino”

================

If you had uninsured property destroyed by floodwaters this year, you’re entitled to a refund of the state sales tax on those items. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

===============================================

Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge was a shelter for displaced flood victims and now one of its properties near the movie studios has become a multi-agency disaster warehouse. Mike Steele with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says people making large donations should call ahead of time to make sure that someone is there to help unload.

CUT 3 (07)  “with them”

Steele says people can call 225-800-2227 to arrange a drop off any day between 9am and 5pm. He says they really need snow shovels, which are good for removing debris, but they are accepting a wide variety of items.

CUT 4 (07)  “a baby”

Steele says they also need blankets, cleaning supplies, flashlights, batteries, and new kitchen items. He says right now they do not need any new or used clothes.

CUT 5 (10)  “what’s needed”

Steele says people can find a complete list of needed items at emergency.la.gov, as well as an address to ship donations.

==================================================

Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies are now in the southern part of the state to assist officers after the historic flooding. Lt. Dave Faulk says they’ve been helping throughout the disaster by bringing in amphibious vehicles and boats. He says they want to help their fellow officers during a difficult time.

CUT 6 (10) “lost everything”

The flooding has impacted the homes of deputies in East Baton Rouge and Livingston Parishes, with many patrol cars flooded out. Faulk says they are really hurting for manpower right now…

CUT 7 (08) “smoothly”

Faulk says the deputies will patrol areas where there has been looting.

CUT 8 (06) “in place” 

==================================================

The historic flooding in the southern part of the state not only destroyed thousands of homes but greatly affected the agriculture business. Ag Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain says farming is a 13 billion dollar industry in Louisiana and 28 to 30 parishes were hurt by the massive rainfall.

CUT 9 (10) “soybeans”

Strain says those are preliminary numbers and expects total losses to be anywhere from $150 to $200 million, if the rain stops now. He says some farmers have crop insurance, but not all commodities or parishes allow insurance.

cut 10 (08)  “coverage”

Strain says livestock and crawfish are not covered under crop insurance. He says they don’t have the exact numbers on how many livestock died during the flooding, but they have aircraft working to connect lost livestock with their owners. The commissioner says the flooding has also caused a severe increase in the mosquito population.

Cut 11 (11) “encephalomyelitis”

===================================================

If you had uninsured property that was destroyed by floodwaters this year, you’re entitled to a refund of the state sales tax on those items. State Treasurer John Kennedy says this applies to the parishes that were federally declared disasters during the March and August floods…:

cut 12 (12) “property”

To learn more, visit latreasury.com and click on Sales Tax Disaster Relief. Kennedy says it may not seem like much, but every little bit helps and the money will really add up…:

Cut 13 (09)  “a lawnmower”

Claims should be filed with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Kennedy says the secretary of that department can waive documentation requirements if original receipts are not available. He says right now people need all the help they can get…:

cut 14 (05)  “little bit helps”

==============================================

Tropical Wave 99-L remains poorly organized as it moves toward south Florida, but forecasters are concerned it could possibly develop into a named storm if it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Alek Krautmann is with the National Weather Service in Slidell…

cut 15 (09) “of Mexico”

It’s possible the tropical wave could fall apart. But Krautmann says it’s worth keeping an eye on, especially if the cluster of thunderstorms can stay together as it continues to move in northwest direction…

cut 16 (11) “tropical storm “

=====================================

FEMA housing units are returning to Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

================

Over 120-thousand people registered for disaster assistance and federal and state agencies are having trouble keeping up with the demand. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Halen Doughty”

===============================================

FEMA owned temporary housing units are returning to Louisiana to provide housing for flood victims who are in the process of rebuilding their homes. Governor John Bel Edwards says these trailer units are different from what we say after Hurricane Katrina.

CUT 3 (10)  “up better”

Edwards says these trailers are similar to actual mobile homes. He says flood victims who suffered over 17-thousand dollars in damages to their homes are eligible for a trailer.

CUT 4 (06)  “secure”

Edwards says the trailers will be secured on concrete blocks and not on wheels. The governor says he’s heard that FEMA representatives are checking to see if the FEMA units can fit on a person’s flood-damaged property and they’ll also have multiple trailers on a commercial lot.

CUT 5 (10)  “transportation”

==================================================

Triple-A is warning motorists looking to purchase a used car to beware of flood damaged vehicles for sale. Spokesperson Don Redman says usually damaged cars are quickly moved farther away from the devastated areas as early as one week after the disaster. He says be careful when buying a car off of Craigslist or resale sites.

CUT 6 (10) “of lots”

Redman advises people to use their sense of smell to detect any wet or musty odors inside the car. He also says to check for new carpeting and signs of dirt or mud.

CUT 7 (10) “the inside”

Redman says always get a Carfax report or some kind of vehicle history, because it can indicate where the car is coming from. He says the potential damage from the flooded vehicles may not be obvious in the short term but…

CUT 8 (11) “short circuiting” 

==================================================

Over 120-thousand people have applied for federal aid following the historic flood in south Louisiana, and many are encountering problems trying to get their assistance. Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow says she doesn’t like the idea of sending people to multiple locations, possibly across town, to meet with FEMA and apply for disaster food stamps.

CUT 9 (11) “another place”

Deputy Director for Disaster Recovery with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Mark Riley, says they are trying to get people out of their cars and shelters as quickly as possible. He says there are already some manufactured homes in the state after the March flood in north Louisiana, but it will be a while before they get these flood victims moved into them.

cut 10 (10)  “to do”

DSNAP has been rolled out in three phases, and many victims are still not able to receive their food stamps. Flood victims in East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Lafayette can’t get theirs until next week. Barrow is not happy about the delay.

Cut 11 (08) “to eat”

===================================================

Weather experts say the disturbance in the Atlantic Ocean is still a fairly disorganized system, and there are many unknowns about the so called, “Invest 99L.” State Climatologist Barry Keim says conditions with this system are expected to become more favorable by the weekend…

cut 12 (08) “hurricane center”
Keim says if this storm does develop, it would probably enter the Gulf of Mexico Sunday or Monday. He says it is too early to speculate on what specific impacts might occur

Cut 13 (11)  “this thing”
Keim says this is kind of scary considering everything south Louisiana is already going through right now with the flooding. He says it’s still a ways out and things could change anytime…:

cut 14 (07)  “our problem”

==============================================