The massive flooding in south Louisiana now poses an increased risk for West Nile. That’s according to the State Medical Director for the Center of Community Preparedness, Dr. Frank Welch, who says in the short-term, flooding washes away mosquitoes and their larvae, but floods leave standing water, which allows mosquitoes to breed and the population to grow quickly:
cut 4 (10) “those systems”
Welch says they are going to be very vigilant and focus on mosquito control over the next few weeks.

The State Archives Office is offering advice for salvaging documents or photographs that were damaged in the flood. Archivist Doug Harrison specializes in preservation. He says the best thing people can do is separate the documents into the smallest possible stacks so they can dry:
cut 14 (08) “a bit”
Harrison says pictures need to be air dried as soon as possible.

It’s reported the death toll from the recent storms and flooding in south Louisiana has risen to 13. The state registrar for vital records says an elderly woman in Livingston Parish was confirmed Wednesday as the latest death.

Residents in Jefferson Davis parish are simultaneously recovering from a historic flood and preparing for more water to come. Chief Deputy Chris Ivey with the Sheriff’s Office says the water is receding in many areas of the parish, and people are moving back into their neighborhoods as they can…:
Cut 10 (09) “over them”
Conditions are looking a little better farther east down the I-10 corridor. Lafayette OEP Director Craig Stansbury says over 5-thousand homes were damaged in the flood, and many people are still in shelters…:
cut 12 (06) “or not”
He says they will be assisting FEMA with setting up a location and whatever else the residents need going forward.

At least 12 people have died as a result of historic flooding that severely impacted the majority of south Louisiana and a portion of central Louisiana. The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that a team discovered the body of a man in his 50s in the South Point subdivision in Denham Springs. There were between 15,000-20,000 rescues made during this event. 90% of homes in the Denham Springs were flooded. City Mayor Gerard Landry says businesses also took on water at unimaginable levels…:
Cut 8 (13) “under water”
Parish-wide, officials say at least 75% of homes were impacted with 2 to 8 feet of water.

Over 10,500 customers with Entergy remain without power. Demco says nearly 4700 people remain in the dark. The hardest hit areas are the northern and eastern part of East Baton Rouge Parish, Livingston, Tangipahoa, and Ascension parishes.

Even though it’s a hectic week in south Louisiana, LSU is expected to start school on Monday as usual and accommodate local students affected by the flood. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Governor John Bel Edwards and various state and local officials will participate in a Unified Command Group  briefing on the flooding impacting Louisiana. They will then participate in a news conference to update the public on the state’s response and recovery efforts in areas affected.

According to the state fire marshal’s office, emergency workers discovered a man’s body in a flooded Denham Springs subdivision this afternoon, which brings the flooding death toll to 12. The identity of the victim has not yet been confirmed, but investigators say the man appears to be in his 50s.

As the flood water rose, many people were fleeing to shelter. Celtic Media Studios in Baton Rouge opened their doors to thousands of people who were forced out of their homes after the devastating storm. Director of Studio Operations Patrick Mulhearn says the lull in the film industry actually turned out to be a blessing…

CUT 6 (11) “do this”

Mulhearn says Saturday night the population of Celtic was zero and Sunday afternoon the population was about 4-thousand people. He says there has been talk about Baton Rouge being divided but he’s never seen a more united community than over the weekend.

While flood waters are receding in some parishes, the Lake Arthur area in Jefferson Davis parish is still expecting more flooding this weekend and into next week. Johnathan Brazzell with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles says the Mermentau River is expected to crest at 11.5 feet by Friday, which would be the third highest crest the river has ever seen.

cut 14 (08)  “for miles”

Brazzell says this will lead to more homes flooding and road closures in that area.

There are numerous sandbagging locations in St. James Parish as officials prepare for backwater flooding. Parish President Timothy Roussel says the community has really teamed up and when one home is completely sandbagged, they all move on to the next.

Cut 13 (10)  “as possible”

Over 40-thousand homes were damaged by the floods, and unfortunately, many of them are not insured for flood damage. Jeff Palermo has more…

Voicer 5 (26) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

A man’s body was discovered by emergency workers this afternoon in an area where major flooding took place. The discovery brings the flooding death toll to 12. According to the state fire marshal’s office, the body was found in a subdivision in Denham Springs. The identity of the victim has not yet been confirmed, but investigators say the man appears to be in his 50s with no apparent trauma.

While thousands of flood victims are still displaced from their homes, Governor John Bel Edwards says state officials are trying to figure out a plan for housing them. He says there’s a lot of information that needs to be gathered about the victims and their needs. But he says FEMA knows how to do this, so the state is following their lead.

cut 10 (10)  “a plan”

Disaster food stamps will be available for flood victims, and pre-registration begins today at the Department of Children and Family services’ website. Sammy Guillory with DCFS says they hope to have registration sites open next week, but that’s not set in stone. He says DCFS has a lot on its plate right now.

CUT 5 (07)  “been flooded”

Guillory says anyone who was affected by the flood and does not receive regular SNAP benefits can apply.

Emergency workers discovered this afternoon a man’s body where massive flooding took place. It brings the flooding death toll to 12. The state fire marshal’s office says the body was found in Denham Springs.

Governor Edwards viewed flood damage in Livingston and Ascension Parish today. He says they want to set up locations, so flood victims can get disaster food stamps. Sammy Guillory with the state department of children and family services says anyone who was affected by the flood can apply…
cut 4 (11) “…of employment”
Pre-register for disaster food stamps at DCFS’ website or call 1-888-L-A-Help-U.

The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank says its warehouse was flooded and they lost a half million pounds of food. CEO Mike Manning says it’s difficult not to be able to feed people during these trying times.

Celtic Movie Studios in Baton Rouge has transformed into a shelter for flood victims. Emelie Gunn has more…
voicer 2 (32) “…I’m Emelie Gunn”

There’s concerns about flooding north of LA Highway 3125 and low-lying areas of St. James Parish. Parish President Timmy Roussel on the sandbagging operations…
cut 12 (09) “…fire station”

The Department of Children and Family Services advises victims of the devastating flood to pre-register for disaster food stamps. DCFS Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory says this makes it easier for enrollees to receive their emergency food stamps once the DSNAP application websites open.
Cut 3 (07) “the process.”

Flood victims can apply online ad D-C-F-S-dot-L-A-dot-GOV-slash-preregister or call 1-888-LA-HELP-U.

Close to 6-thousand people are still staying in shelters after being forced from their homes because of the flooding. Governor John Bel Edwards along with FEMA and other agencies are working to come up with a plan to house the victims in the near and distant future. He says it’s too early to know exactly what the strategy will look like.
cut 9 (08) “the same”

 
The flooding is not over yet as St. James Parish officials are preparing sandbags for backwater flooding. Parish President Timmy Roussel says the community has come together and when one home is completely sandbagged, they all move on to the next. He does expect more homes to take on water and a few homes already have….
Cut 13 (10) “as possible”

There are numerous sandbagging locations on both the east and west banks.
The Lake Arthur area isn’t in the clear yet either when it comes to flooding. Johnathan Brazzell with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles says unfortunately there is still more rain in the forecast. He says there’s a chance of some flash flood warnings as the day goes on.
cut 16 (09) “of time”

As many as 6,000 of flood victims are still staying in shelters and many more are taking refuge with family and friends. FEMA, the Governor and other agencies are working to develop a plan to house people currently and in the distant future. FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate says they don’t know if they will bring in trailers but if it comes to that, these aren’t the same travel trailers we saw after Katrina.
Cut 11 (07) “approved”

The Department of Children and Family Services is telling flood victims to pre-register for disaster food stamps. DCFS Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory says DSNAP benefits will be available once the state gets approval from the federal government. He says they hope to have registration sites open next week but DCFS has a lot going on right now…
CUT 5 (07) “been flooded”

You can apply online on the D-C-F-S website or call 1-888-LA-HELP-U.

Celtic Media Studios in Baton Rouge opened their doors to flood victims as a shelter on Sunday morning. Director of Studio Operations Patrick Mulhearn says Saturday night the population of Celtic was zero and Sunday afternoon the population was about 4-thousand people. He says when buses of people started coming in, there were no volunteers so he turned to Facebook to find help…
CUT 7 (09) “everything else”

Many think the flood is over but Lake Arthur in Jefferson Davis Parish is still expected to get more flooding this week. Johnathan Brazzell with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles says this will lead to more homes flooding and road closures. He says the flooding concerns are far from over in some southwestern parishes..
cut 15 (09) “two weeks”

Thousands of flood victims are still in shelters, and many more are staying with family and friends. Governor John Bel Edwards says there’s a lot of information that needs to be gathered from those that have been affected. But he says FEMA knows how to do this, so the state is following their lead…:
cut 10 (10) “a plan”

The Department of Children and Family Services is advising flood victims to pre-register for disaster food stamps…:
CUT 4 (11) “employment”
That’s DCFS Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory. You can pre-register online at D-C-F-S-dot-L-A-dot-gov. And again, everyone is encouraged to register for FEMA aid online at disasterassistance.gov.

Celtic Movie Studios in Baton Rouge has transformed into a massive shelter for flood victims. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

While flood waters are receding in some parishes, the Lake Arthur area in Jefferson Davis parish is still expecting more flooding this weekend and into next week. Johnathan Brazzell with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles says the Mermentau River is expected to crest at 11.5 feet by Friday, which would be the third highest crest the river has ever seen..:
cut 14 (08) “for miles”

State officials are developing a plan for housing the thousands of flood victims who still cannot return to their homes. Halen Doughty has more.:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Celtic Media Studios in Baton Rouge converted into a shelter, and Director of Operations Patrick Mulhearn says they had about 4,000 people there by Sunday afternoon. He says people from all different professions have shown up to help:
CUT 8 (10) “gathering dust”

The flooding is not over yet as officials in St. James Parish are preparing for backwater flooding. Parish President Timmy Roussel says the levels of water in the Blind River are higher than what was seen during Hurricane Isaac. He says residents are scrambling to sandbag their homes before the water reaches it…:
cut 12 (09) “fire station”
He says the water is rising on the Blind River due to backwater flooding.

Tragedy has once again fallen upon the family of former Southern University football player Devon Gales — who was paralyzed in a game against Georgia last season. The Gales’ were in one of the thousands of homes in southeast Louisiana that flooded and were given transportation by Georgia back to Atlanta where Devon is still going through therapy.

Thousands of flood victims are still in shelters, and many more are staying with family and friends. Governor John Bel Edwards says his office and other agencies are developing a strategy for housing these people in the immediate and distant future. He says it’s too early to know exactly what that plan will look like…:
CUT 9 (08) “the same”

Celtic Media Studios in Baton Rouge opened their doors to thousands of people who were forced out of their homes after the devastating storm. Director of Studio Operations Patrick Mulhearn says the lull in the film industry actually turned out to be a blessing…:
CUT 6 (11) “do this”
Mulhearn says Saturday night the population of Celtic was zero and Sunday afternoon the population was about 4-thousand people.

In St. James Parish, residents are scrambling to sandbag homes as the concern of backwater flooding into the rising Blind River remains high this week.

The Department of Children and Family Services is advising flood victims to pre-register for disaster food stamps. If you experienced loss or damage from the floods, you can apply online at D-C-F-S-dot-L-A-dot-gov-slash-preregister (dcfs.la.gov/preregister) or call 1-888-LA-HELP-U. DCFS Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory says pre-qualifying will make it easier for enrollees receive their emergency food stamps, once D-SNAP application sites open…:
CUT 3 (07) “the process”
He says says DSNAP benefits will be available once the state gets approval from the federal government.

Close to 15,000 Entergy customers in South Louisiana remain without power. DEMCO has about 9,000 without lights.