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THREE DEAD, 7,000 RESCUED FROM LOUISIANA FLOODING (2999 hits)


MONROE, La. — Rescue efforts intensified Sunday as a break in the weather allowed State Police helicopters to deliver food and water to some of the more than 1,000 motorists stuck in floodwaters on Interstate 12 near Baton Rouge.

More than 7,000 people and 500 pets have been rescued from the waters sweeping across much of southeastern Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards said. He said the death toll from flooding remained at three, with one person missing.

"We are not in control as far as how fast these floodwaters will recede, and in fact they are still going up in some places," Edwards said at a news conference Sunday. "We are asking everyone to be patient."

Edwards said he had sought a federal disaster declaration to expedite assistance to families and businesses.

Ochsner Medical Center Baton Rouge said it was transferring about 40 patients, most critically ill, to other Ochsner facilities as a precautionary measure "to ensure ongoing continuity of care."

"We are still assessing the total impact of the severe weather and flooding," the hospital said in a statement. "As we have information on our ability to reopen our Emergency Room and the ability to staff and open some of our Health Centers tomorrow, we will provide those updates,"

On I-12, some motorists have been stranded for 24 hours. Boats were unable to reach the motorist due to the sporadic areas of dry land, and five state troopers were on the ground aiding stranded motorists, State Police Supt. Col Michael Edmonson said.

Dominique Dugas, of Lafayette, and her family were rescued Sunday — her 29th birthday. She said they were heading to a funeral in Slidell on Saturday morning when they became stranded. Dugas said in a phone interview with USA TODAY Network her family walked to a convenience store and was shuttled by school bus to a shelter.

"We saw the helicopters landing just as we got on the bus," she said. "It wasn't as bad a birthday as you might think. I had my family and we were able to help some people."

State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson said troopers were rescuing those with medical conditions first, something Dugas confirmed. "We saw a couple of people who were ill taken away," she said.

"We have to address life and death situations first before quality of life," Edmonson said Sunday.

The Coast Guard said it had rescued more than 50 people in distress from rooftops, automobiles and trailers, and aided in rescuing hundreds more.

Flooding was expected to continue through the weekend in southern Louisiana, the National Weather Service warned.

"The simple fact is we are breaking records," Edwards said. "So we really don’t know how much flooding we will see."

A man in Zachary died after slipping into a flooded ditch and another man died trapped in a submerged pickup in St. Helena Parish, authorities said. The body of a woman from Amite was recovered Saturday from the Tickfaw River, according to Michael Martin, chief of operations for the St. Helena Sheriff’s Office.

About 1,700 National Guard troops have been mobilized, with more on the way. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson said more than 200 roads are closed. More than 5,000 people spent Saturday night in Red Cross shelters, some on floors because of a shortage of cots.

State government offices in 27 southern Louisiana parishes will be closed Monday, State Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said.

In Scott, La., about 6 miles west of Lafayette, the mayor closed all city streets and said anyone driving could be cited.

Flood stage for the Vermillion River is 10 feet, the level recorded Saturday morning was 16.4 feet, and it is expected to rise to 18.4 feet, a 100-year flood level. Its highest recorded crest was 24.87 feet in 1940.

Lafayette received 10.39 inches of rain Friday after having less than a half inch of rain in early August, according to the National Weather Service. The Vermilion River, which was low before the rain started falling, has reversed course.

"The river's flowing upstream, which means it's flowing into the swamp," said Tom Carroll, Lafayette's public works director. In the 24 years he has worked in his building, Carroll said he has never seen the Vermilion River moving so fast in a northerly direction.

Thousands of homes were without electricity.

In Youngsville, about 10 miles south of Lafayette, the Louisiana National Guard went house to house to rescue residents stranded in waist-high water.

"It happened so fast," said Dana Broussard, who carried a few possessions in plastic bags as she boarded a cargo truck with Noel Comeaux, two dogs and a guinea pig. "We had to climb out of the window to get out. We couldn't open the door or anything. The water ended up past my window. If we hadn't left, we could not have gotten out. And I don't have any flood insurance. What do I do? Who do I call?"

The storms are part of a larger, westward-moving low-pressure system. Edwards declared a state of emergency Friday and even the governor's mansion in Baton Rouge has a flooded basement that forced the governor's family to flee.

The Comite River near Baton Rouge and Amite River near Denham Springs, both in Louisiana, were predicted to set record crests over the weekend. Forecaster Alek Krautmann said both rivers could flood many houses in suburban areas near Baton Rouge.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency for several counties. In southwest Mississippi, rescues occurred in Amite and Wilkinson counties. In Crosby, Miss., more than 50 people flooded out of a neighborhood will be housed at a shelter in Natchez until at least Monday.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Sunday, August 14th 2016 at 2:44PM
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Only just tonight did I see in depth coverage of this, on Hannity.
Monday, August 22nd 2016 at 10:23PM
Steve Williams
Sister Siebra, how is your family in New Orleans holding up during this traumatic event?
Friday, August 26th 2016 at 10:20PM
Sister Juanita From Memphis
My family in New Orleans is safe and secure. We have been receiving rain off and on for the last couple of days and more rain storms are expected tomorrow. However, it flooded almost everywhere in the Baton Rouge metro area, lots of power outages and abandoned cars, people seeking shelter at the high schools in the area and looking for stores and businesses that are open so they can get some food. Some of my friends up that way had to leave their homes. The Governors Mansion in Baton Rouge experienced severe flooding and the historical LSU and Grambling State University campuses were pretty much underwater. In a town named Walker, Louisiana (about 30 minutes away from Baton Rouge) the flooding caused coffins to rise up from the ground at a cemetery.

It's a stressful time for sure, some parts of the Baton Rouge metro area appear as if nothing happened there, while other parts are a disaster. They said a levee broke and cell phone towers are supposed to be down too. The irony of this is 11 years ago in August, Hurricane Katrina happened in New Orleans and we lost everything. It's the same thing now, although I'm older and can recover easier. There was a man being interviewed on one of the channels in B.R. and he told the reporter that his cousin was sleeping, and in a matter of 2 hours he had about 3 feet of water in his bedroom that was rising. He was able to wake his cousin up and they left their house together as the water was touching the mattress. They took a boat and paddled to a dry place and found a rental car.

Wednesday, August 31st 2016 at 11:44AM
Siebra Muhammad
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