Much of South and Central Louisiana are under a flash flood watch today as Tropical Depression Nicholas moves through the state. Rainfall totals are expected to range from five to ten inches and locally higher amounts are possible. A number of roads in Evangeline Parish are closed due to high waters.

As the COVID pandemic rages on, the funeral industry has seen families hold multiple funerals in a short period of time. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (32) I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Louisiana Public Service Commission reports 85-thousand customers are still without power due to Hurricane Ida. Most of the outages are in St. John, St. Charles, Lafourche, and Terrebonne Parishes. Entergy says they restored power to 90-percent of its customers that lost electricity due to Ida. John Hawkins, the utility’s Vice President of Distribution Operations, says lessons learned from previous storms helped in this restoration effort…
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There are many still taking the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to treat COVID. Senator Bill Cassidy, who is also a doctor, advises against it…
cut 13 (10) “…FDA approved vaccine”

Nicholas has been downgraded to a tropical depression, but the flood threat lingers. State Climatologist Barry Keim…
cut 6 (06) “….of time”
That’s what happened in Avoyelles and Evangeline Parish early this morning, which led to flooded roads and school closures.

Over 13,000 have died from COVID in Louisiana and the pandemic has made it difficult for some families to plan a funeral for a loved one…
cut 10 911) “…will recover”
That’s Zondra Wright who is the director at the Charbonnet Funeral Home in New Orleans. Wright says before the pandemic they averaged nine to eleven funerals a week. She says they can easily do that many in a weekend now.

There is more progress to report on getting electricity flowing once again to Entergy customers in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida. Dave Brannen has an update.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Dave Brannen.”

The federal government has approved the use of disaster food stamps for residents in 25 parishes hit by Hurricane Ida. D-SNAP as it’s officially called provides financial assistance to households who need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster. The virtual application process begins Monday. Got to the D-C-F-S website for more information.

Nicholas continues to move slowly to the east at three miles an hour. The center of the storm is 35 miles west of Lake Charles and it still has the potential to produce a lot of rain in Louisiana…
cut 1 (29) “….I’m Brooke Thorington”

Roads are flooded in Avoyelles and Evangeline Parishes this morning. So schools are closed there. Meanwhile in southeast Louisiana, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning until 8:30 for St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington Parishes.

Entergy Louisiana announces 90-percent of its customers have had their power restored post- Hurricane Ida. John Hawkins, the utility’s Vice President of Distribution Operations, sums up the situation this way.
Cut 7 (05) “…is unprecedented.”
Entergy says they continue to work to restore power to the 72-thousand customers who are still without electricity. About 45-percent of the customers in St. John, St. Charles, Lafourche, and Terrebonne Parishes remain in the dark.

The state health department reported 22-hundred new COVID-19 cases yesterday and 121 additional COVID deaths, bringing the death toll to 13,241. Senator Bill Cassidy is urging Louisiana residents to get the vaccine and do not rely on the dewormer ivermectin to treat COVID symptoms…
cut 14 (09) “….its complications”
Cassidy says he has personal experience with people who refused the vaccine and took ivermectin, but died from the virus.

Tropical Storm Nicholas is moving through southeast Texas towards the Louisiana border. Governor Edwards says the forecast calls for Nicholas to bring heavy rainfall and potentially damaging flash flooding to the southern half of the state over the next couple of days. Edwards says Nicholas arrives as work continues to restore power to hard-hit areas of Ida…
cut 6 (12) “…period of times”
According to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, 110-thousand customers had still not had their power restored due to Ida.

Louisiana Revenue Secretary Kimberly Lewis says taxpayers may be eligible for state sales tax refunds to personal property destroyed by Ida…
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For more information read the instructions on the Natural Disaster Claim for Refund.

The 504-pound alligator that claimed the life of a 71-year old Slidell man has been located, two weeks after he was last seen in knee-deep water outside his home in Avery Estates. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (31) I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The LSU football program is mourning the death of Kevione Faulk, the 19-year-old daughter of running backs coach Kevin Faulk. Kevione, who was a student worker on the football staff, died Monday morning. A cause of death was not known.

Tropical Storm Nicholas is moving through southeast Texas and it’s not in a hurry to get out of the Gulf South region. The National Hurricane Center’s official forecast track calls for Nicholas to be downgraded to a depression late tonight and then just hover over southwest Louisiana until at least Thursday. State Climatologist Barry Keim…
cut 7 (06) “….needless to say”
Governor John Bel Edwards says you don’t have to go back too far to know that depression can be as troublesome as a hurricane…
cut 5 (12) “….singificant property damage”
Nicholas actually reached hurricane strength before making landfall during the overnight hours in Matagorda Peninsula, Texas. Because Nicholas’ track has shifted south, the potential impacts for north Louisiana have lessened.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office believes they have found the 504-pound alligator that killed 71-year-old Timothy Satterlee Senior of Slidell. Satterlee encountered the alligator in Hurricane Ida floodwaters while checking on something in his shed. His 68-year-old wife tried to assist her husband, but the gator go to him before she could get help. Captain Lance Vitter with the St. Tammany Sheriff’s office…
cut 18 (08) “…the community”
The alligator has been killed and an autopsy will be conducted to see if Satterlee’s remains are inside the alligator’s stomach.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue is taking steps to provide state tax relief following Hurricane Ida. LDR Secretary Kimberly Lewis says the department is granting automatic filing extensions to both individual and business taxpayers in the 25 parishes placed under a disaster declaration by the governor.
Cut 10 (09) “…and severance taxes.”
The automatic extended due date to file is now January 3, 2022. However, Lewis says it is not an extension to pay any taxes due.

The center of Tropical Storm Nicholas is moving slowly towards the Houston Metropolitan area and producing heavy rainfall in southeast Texas and south Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim…
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Several days of rainfall as the center of Nicholas will hover over southwest Louisiana tomorrow and Thursday. Dave Brannen has more from Governor Edwards…
cut 1 (32) “…I’m Dave Brannen”

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff deputies have captured the 12-foot alligator believed to have killed 71-year-old Timothy Satterlee of Slidell. Satterlee was attacked outside his home which was surrounded by floodwaters in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Captain Lance Vitter says Satterlee went outside to check on something in his shed when he encountered the alligator…
cut 15 (04) “…underwater”
Satterlee was known for his volunteer work in the community along with disaster response by cooking meals for storm victims.

Fuel shortages continue to hamper areas hit hard by Ida. Revenue Secretary Kimberly Lewis says the state is waiving Louisiana’s diesel fuel penalty for selling or using tax-exempt dyed diesel fuel. Lewis says the relief will remain in effect through at least tomorrow…
cut 12 (08) “…lack of fuel”