Tropical Depression 9 is in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and the latest forecast track has the developing storm moving towards Louisiana, but eventually turning and making landfall on Thursday in Florida. State climatologist Barry Keim says the National Hurricane Center has the depression strengthening into a tropical storm, but admits forecasters are having trouble predicting its intensity.
cut 6 (08) “…wide range”

Today marks the 11th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Trauma psychologist with LSH Health New Orleans Doctor Jennifer Hughes says this day along with images of the latest flooding disaster in Louisiana could result in bad flashbacks from those who survived Katrina. Hughes says if you are depressed, reach out to family and friends….
cut 11 (08) “…can help”

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Pelican State saw a drop in population as the destructive storms sent Louisiana residents across the country. Demographer Greg Rigamer says with this latest flood event, expect a migration of workers into the state, but the state won’t see any long-term population gain because of the struggling oil industry….
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Two people are dead and 36 people were injured after a 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 Camry”
Spencer Chauvin, a district fire chief of St. John the Baptist Parish and a 21-year-old resident in Mississippi were killed. Matey says the man driving the bus is from Honduras and did not have a license to drive the bus. He’s now facing negligent homicde charges.

Registration for the Louisiana Shelter at Home Program is now open. The Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff Julie Baxter Payer says the program awards up to $15-thousand for basic home repairs…:
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The registration form is online at shelterathome.la.gov.

Hurricane Katrina happened 11 years ago today, and could we see a similar shift in population now like we did then? Emelie Gunn has more…:

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Flood weary residents have been nervously watching the tropics as a system enters the Gulf of Mexico, but the latest models show TD 9 heading to Florida and making landfall there Thursday. The National Hurricane Center expects the system to get stronger and become a tropical storm later today.

Two people are dead and 36 injured after a party bus hit a fire truck and several other vehicles on I-10 near LaPlace in St. John the Baptist Parish. State Police Trooper Melissa Matey says the driver of the bus was in the US illegally and did not have a driver’s license. She says one of the fatal victims was District Chief Spencer Chauvin with the St. John the Baptist Fire Department…:
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She says the wreck also killed 21 year old Jermaine Starr who was a back seat passenger in one of the vehicles that was hit. Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez of Honduras is charged with two counts of negligent homicide and one each of reckless driving and driving without a license.

Flood victims can now register for the Louisiana Shelter at Home program online at shelterathome.la.gov. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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A man who was in this country illegally is in jail in connection with a deadly crash on I-10 near LaPlace that claimed the lives of two people including the St. John Fire Chief. State Police Trooper Melissa Matey says the driver of the at-fault party bus did not have a license and faces several charges, including negligent homicide…
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In addition to the two fatalities, over 30 people were injured in the crash.

As Louisiana is still recovering from the Great Flood of 2016, some Hurricane Katrina displaced residents are living the same nightmare they did when the storm hit 11 years ago today. Trauma psychologist with LSU Health New Orleans Dr. Jennifer Hughes says going through rescue and recovery twice for some is traumatizing…:
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Hughes says the Capital Area Human Services District provides services to people dealing with PTSD.

Officials are urging people to get back into the homes quickly so we don’t see the same type of population shift similar to the one following Katrina. Demographer Greg Rigamer expects flood victims to try and rebuild where they lived prior to the flood…:
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Tropical Depression 9 is a poorly organized storm that continues to move into the extreme southeastern Gulf of Mexico this morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. It’s expected to become a tropical storm sometime today, then veer towards Florida by the middle of the week.

Flood victims can now register for the Louisiana Shelter at Home Program. Those eligible could receive up to $15,000 to make needed repairs to their home so that they can live there during the rebuilding process. Governor’s Office spokeswoman Julie Baxter Payer says his assistance is separate from FEMA…:
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You can do so online at shelterathome.la.gov.

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 were already displaced by Katrina and are in the nightmare again:
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She says if anyone feels depressed, the first thing they need to do is reach out to family and friends.

Tropical Depression Nine is moving toward the west across the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center expects the system to get stronger during the next 48 hours and become a tropical storm later today or tonight. The system is headed west now, but forecasters expect it to turn more to the north and then make a dramatic turn and head for Florida before making landfall around Big Bend Thursday.

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…:
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Two people are dead, including a district fire chief, and over 30 are injured after an illegal immigrant crashed a bus into a fire truck, three firefighters and several cars on I-10 in St. John the Baptist Parish near LaPlace. State Police Trooper Melissa Matey says it happened as another accident was being worked…:
cut 4 (09) “Toyota Camry”
A rear seat passenger in the Camry was killed. One of the firefighters, District Chief Spencer Chauvin, died a short time later after being hit by the bus. Matey says the bus driver, Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez, is an illegal alien from Honduras who was traveling with the group to assist in flood recovery work. He charges include negligent homicide.

Tropical Depression 9 is a poorly organized storm that continues to move into the extreme southeastern Gulf of Mexico this morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. It’s expected to become a tropical storm sometime today, then veer towards Florida by the middle of the week where it’s expected to make landfall.

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.

After Hurricane Katrina hit 11 years ago today, 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 says that will depend largely on what kind of government assistance flood victims can receive…:
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Flood victims with uninsured property that was destroyed are eligible for a state sales tax return on lost items. State Treasurer John Kennedy says it might not seem like a lot but the money will really add up…
Cut 13 (09) “lawnmower.”

To learn more visit latreasury.com and click on sales tax disaster relief.
Deputies from the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office are in south Louisiana to help out other officers after the Great Flood of 2016. Lt. Dave Faulk says they want to help their fellow officers in this time of need.
Cut 6 (10) “lost everything.”

He says deputies will be taking patrolling the areas where there has been looting.
The massive flooding not only displaced thousands of families but ruined hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crops. Don Molino has more…
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Former Saints Safety Darren Sharper has filed a federal court notice stating he will appeal his conviction. Early this month, Sharper was sentenced to 18 years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to the raping and drugging 9 women in four states. It’s unclear what Sharper’s legal team will do next.

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…:
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The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed three more Zika cases in Louisiana. That brings total number of travel associated Zika cases to 26. There have been no known cases of local transmission in Louisiana. LDH says with the flooding in southern part of the state, that in an increase for mosquito borne diseases.

Celtic Media Studios in Baton Rouge has opened one of their properties to become a multi agency disaster warehouse. Mike Steele with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says they are in need of snow shovels, which are good for removing debris but are also accepting a wide variety of items.
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Call (225) 800-2227 to schedule a drop off.

The Tropical Wave, named Invest 99-L is still poorly organized as it is making its way toward south Florida and many forecasters are worried this area of low pressure could develop into a named storm once in the Gulf of Mexico. Alex Krautmann with the National Weather Service in Slidell says it’s worth keeping an eye on if the cluster of thunderstorms stay together as it continues to move northwest.

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Celtic Media Studios in Baton Rouge was a shelter for flood victims and now one of its properties has become a multi-agency disaster warehouse. Mike Steele with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says anyone making large donations should call ahead of time to make sure that someone is there to help unload.
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Call (225) 800-2227 to arrange a drop off off between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The Great Flood of 2016 greatly affected the agriculture business in Louisiana. Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Mike Strain says he expects total losses to be anywhere from 150 to 200 million dollars if the rain stops now. He says some lucky farmers have crop insurance but not all crops or parishes allow insurance.
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Charges are pending in the crash that claimed the life of an off duty New Orleans Police officer, according to State Police. 45-year-old Tony Mitchell experienced mechanical problems on an elevated portion of the West Bank Expressway and pulled onto the left shoulder. Mitchell flagged down oncoming traffic so 35-year-old Jennifer Williams, of Waggaman stopped in the left lane. When preparing to move Williams’ vehicle was hit by 23-year-old Corutney Slugher of New Orleans, which then threw Mitchell over the guard rail falling 40 feet to the ground.

If you had uninsured property that was destroyed by the March or August flooding, you are entitled to a state sales tax return on those items. State Treasurer John Kennedy says claims should be filed with the state department of revenue. He says people need all the help they can get right now.
Cut 14 (05) “…helps.”

If you had uninsured property that was destroyed during the March and August floods, you are entitled to a refund of the state sales tax on those items. Visit latreasury.com and click on Sales Tax Disaster Relief to learn more. State Treasurer John Kennedy says this applies to parishes that were federally declared disasters
Cut 12 (12) “property.”

Bossier Parish Sheriff’s deputies are in southern Louisiana to help officers after the Great Flood of 2016. Lt. Dave Faulk says they want to help other officers who have lost everything. He says the deputies will patrol areas where there has been looting.
CUT 8 (06) “in place”

The flooding has impacted the homes of deputies in East Baton Rouge and Livingston Parishes, with many patrol cars flooded out.

 
An area of low pressure,named Invest 99-L remains poorly organized as it moves toward southern Florida but forecasters says there could be some development into a named storm when the Tropical Wave reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Alek Krautmann with the National Weather Service in Slidell…
cut 15 (09) “of Mexico.”

It is possible invest 99-L could fall apart.

The historic flooding not only ruined thousands of homes but greatly affected the agriculture business in Louisiana. Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Mike Strain says 28 to 30 parishes were hurt by the massive rainstorm
cut 9 (10) “soybeans”

Strain says farming is a 13 billion dollar industry in Louisiana.

Flood victims can get a refund on the state sales tax when replacing property they lost in the flood. State Treasurer John 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”

For more information, visit latreasury.com and click on Sales Tax Disaster Relief.

Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge has been transformed from a shelter for flood victims into a multi-agency disaster warehouse. Mike Steele with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness says people should call ahead if they are making large donations 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.

The agriculture business took a huge hit in the recent flood. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain 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.

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Livestock are not covered by ag insurance.

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 the deputies will patrol areas where there has been looting.
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Faulk says they want to help their fellow officers during a difficult time.