Parts of the state have seen an excess of 20 inches of rain, and the governor has declared a state of emergency for 22 parishes. Halen Doughty reports…
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Governor John Bel Edwards says heavy rainfall and flooding has caused three fatalities in Louisiana. Emelie Gunn has more…
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The governor has declared a state of emergency for 22 parishes as an enormous storm is terrorizing north Louisiana. Congressman Ralph Abraham of Alto says lives and livelihoods are at stake. He says he has seen over a hundred homes flooded and one person lost their life so far. He says they are getting an unbelievable amount of rain.
CUT 3 (07) “a disaster”
Abraham says he has talked with FEMA and asked that the area be declared a federal disaster area so resources and funding can come this way. He says everyone in north Louisiana is pitching in to help.
CUT 4 (05) “literally”
DeSoto Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle says several emergency shelters have been set up throughout the parish as evacuations are ongoing. He says countless homes in the parish have flooded.
CUT 5 (08) “on water”
Arbuckle says the Sabine River in DeSoto is rising to a dangerously high level, and people near the river are being evacuated.
CUT 6 (07) “that high”
Arbuckle says the last time the river was that high was in the 1940s.
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In Bienville Parish, Sheriff John Ballance says the flood waters turned fatal in a small community just east of Lucky. He says they received a call Wednesday afternoon about a vehicle stuck in the water on a bridge over Saline Creek…:
CUT 7 (10) “from drowning”
Ballance says the man who died is identified as 63-year-old Jerry Garrett of Friendship. His 70-year-old wife, Leilani, was the woman rescued. He says the couple tried to drive over the bridge that was covered with water…:
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Ballance says there is water over the roads all over the parish, and people are ignoring warning signs and making life threatening decisions by doing so.
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Jason Hansford, with the National Weather Service, says rainfall totals in Louisiana range from 11 to over 20 inches. He says we could see a break in the rain soon.
CUT 9 (06) “on the way”
Hansford says the state could see up to 5 more inches of rain, but he says this massive storm should clear out by this weekend.
cut 10 (05) “this system”
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Governor John Bel Edwards has activated 750 Louisiana National Guard members to help combat the widespread flooding in north Louisiana. Edwards urges the public to stay inside and off the flooded roadways. He says there are now three confirmed deaths, one including a six-year-old girl…
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Officials say the 6-year-old died when her mother lost control of her vehicle due to the road conditions. A 64-year-old man from Bienville and a 22-year-old man from Ouachita also died in drownings. Edwards says many roads in northern parishes are closed and warns drivers not to cross barricades. State Police Col. Mike Edmonson says the water continues to rise and the storm is shifting into southeast Louisiana. He says if you don’t need to be on the road, don’t go out and sightsee.
cut 12 (09) “do so”
Governor Edwards plans to make a trip to north Louisiana tomorrow if weather permits to see the damage. In Lincoln Parish, the Ruston Fire Department has had to rescue over a dozen people from their home or vehicle due to flooding. State Representative Robert Shadoin says state and local officials are doing all they can to help flood victims.
Cut 13 (10) “shine again”
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Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal and one of his top lieutenants have been indicted on civil rights violations for their alleged involvement in the beatings of five jail inmates. The indictment claims Ackal directed officers to beat the inmates in the jail’s chapel in 2011. Former US attorney Harry Rosenberg says there have already been an array of civil lawsuits filed against the sheriff’s by inmates that are pending, but this federal suit will be different.
cut 14 (08) “if convicted”
Eight former employees of the sheriff’s office have already pleaded guilty to related federal charges. Rosenberg says that while the inmates’ testimonies may not be as credible, the former employees’ statements will.
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If convicted, Ackal could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine for each civil rights violation. Rosenberg says the combined testimonies from the former jail employees and the inmates will make for a difficult case for the sheriff.
cut 16 (06) “these charges”