Red Cross disaster action teams have responded to scores of home fires in the last week. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Life for many in north Louisiana is starting to get back to normal. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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The frigid temperatures this week put a temporary pause on the harvesting of crawfish. LSU Ag Center crawfish agent Todd Fontenot says when it gets really cold, crawfish bury themselves in the mud…
Fontenot says not only did the cold temperatures halt harvesting activities, it also kept mudbugs from growing, because they just burrow deep into the mud to stay warm …
Fontenot says now that the temperatures are starting to warm, crawfishermen can get back on their ponds and resume harvesting…
Fontenot says we can still expect the peak supply of crawfish from late February and into April.
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With conditions evocative of New England winters gripping Louisiana, Red Cross disaster action teams have responded to no fewer than 44 single-family home fires and two multi-family home fires throughout the state over the last seven days. Shelby Wells with the Red Cross of Louisiana says the organization is able to help those displaced with immediate financial assistance.
Cut 6 (08) “…really immediate needs.”
Wells says Red Cross home fire response teams are 100-percent volunteer-based.
Cut 7 (10) “…to anyone anywhere.”
Wells says the money that the Red Cross gives to those who are displaced by fires is never a loan.
Cut 8 (08) “…all donation-funded.”
Meanwhile, the Red Cross is currently managing six shelters serving more than 120 people. In addition, it’s supporting 21 partner shelters and 19 warming centers.
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With temperatures getting up to the mid-40s, north Louisiana is beginning to thaw out. About 70-thousand utility customers remain without electricity according to power-outage dot-u-s, more than half of those outages are in Ouachita Parish. In nearby Lincoln Parish, the outages were not nearly as significant. Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker…
According to the Lincoln Parish Journal, Mayor Walker and his wife Kay served gumbo to linemen, street workers and first responders. Walker says he also provided food and water to the hundreds of vehicles stranded on I-20 because of stalled out trucks..
Walker says hundreds of vehicles were stranded on I-20 in very cold temperatures….
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Those of you who need to drive from Shreveport to Monroe or vice-versa, you can once again do so with relative ease. Erin Buchanan with DOTD says crews were able to clear I-20 of all of those stalled 18-wheelers that had ground traffic to a halt for hours.
Cut 12 (13) “…the sunshine too.”
Buchanan says you’ll still want to pay attention along I-20, as you should always do.
Buchanan says icy conditions, however, still have one significant section of roadway closed just south of I-20 on the far western edge of the state.
Cut 14 (09) “…quickly as possible.”