Louisiana, Mississippi Suffering From Amazing Floods
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said heavy rains along the Gulf Coast have led to unprecedented flooding in certain areas of the state. Two lives have been lost to date.
The National Weather Service has extended its flash flood warning for Louisiana and issued flood watches for areas in eastern Texas. Flood watches and warnings for the eastern portions of Louisiana, which includes the city of New Orleans, along with parts of South Mississippi. More than 17 inches of rain have dropped in the area of Louisiana by Saturday morning, and the NWS said several additional inches were possible.
Edwards has called for a state of emergency, as rivers have spilled over and led to more than 1,000 emergency rescues – in homes, cars and trees.
According to a spokeswoman for the Louisiana State Police, a 54-year-old man in North Louisiana died after his vehicle has been swept off the road. It was still submerged in floodwaters, and investigators were still looking at details of the crash.
William Clark, an East Baton Rouge Parish coroner, said a 68-year-old man’s body had been recovered near Baker, Louisiana after he drowned when trying to evacuate.
Water rescues were taken place in Mississippi, and two people in Harrison County were said to have suffered minor injuries.
Edwards said as the eastern part of the state has seen the severe weather ease up, rivers in western Louisiana spilled over and the next 24 to 36 hours could be even worse. He said the floors are even worse than the ones that took place in March when four people lost their lives and thousands of homes in Mississippi and Louisiana were damaged.
Edwards advised residents to listen to warnings, and not to rely on their previous experiences.
According to Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard, the floods have displaced more than 1,000 people. He said the National Guard had been brought in to help rescue people along with the state officials.
Ard said there are reports that people are in their attics and on rooftops. He wanted to let these folks know that they have not been forgotten and that officials are coming for them.
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