Louisiana Gov.
John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency as rescue workers in the
southeastern part of the state braced for more precipitation.
Edwards
spokesman Richard Carbo said the governor returned to Louisiana on Friday
because of the flooding. Edwards had been in Colorado for a policy meeting of
the Democratic Governors Association but left early because of the storm.
Edwards has
scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Saturday to discuss the flooding
situation, which also affected the Louisiana Governor's Mansion, which has a
flooded basement. WAFB-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2b4rZsO) the governor's family
has been relocated until the situation is resolved.
A spokeswoman
for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said one man died Friday after
slipping into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary. Casey Rayborn Hicks
identified the victim as 68-year-old William Mayfield. His body was found about
noon Friday.
Dr. William
"Beau" Clark, the parish coroner, ruled the death "an accidental
drowning."
A second
victim was found in St. Helena Parish, where crews pulled a body from a
submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10.
State Fire
Marshal H. "Butch" Browning confirmed they found a man in his 50s
inside a marooned Chevrolet pickup truck about 7 p.m. Friday. The body was
turned over to the parish coroner's office. His name has not been released, but
Browning said he's believed to be from the area.
Meanwhile,
crews are continuing to search for possibly another washed away vehicle after
residents reported a missing person.
Browning said
the area is sparsely populated and authorities only came across the truck after
earlier successfully rescuing the driver of an 18-wheeler whose rig was pushed
off the roadway.
Numerous
rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing their
banks and threatening widespread flooding after extreme rainfall that began
late Thursday, the National Weather Service reported.
Meteorologist
Mike Shields, with the service's Slidell, Louisiana office, said a flash-flood
watch remained in effect through Sunday.
"Potentially,
additional heavy rain from 4 to 8 inches can be expected west of Interstate 55
and lesser amounts east of there as the system continues moving further
west," he said.
In a 24-hour
period, Baton Rouge reported as much as 11.34 inches of rain fell compared with
2.34 inches at New Orleans' international airport in Kenner. Shields said one of
their weather observers reported 17.09 inches fell in Livingston.
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.
The Tickfaw
River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was
already at the highest level ever recorded at 9 a.m. Friday.
Mike Steele, a
spokesman for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness, said requests were coming in for high-water vehicles,
boats and sandbags. Tangipahoa Parish alone requested tens of thousands of
sandbags.
In southwest
Mississippi, rescues occurred in Amite and Wilkinson counties.
Leroy
Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued near Gloster.
Hansford, 62,
said waters from Beaver Creek, which is normally more than 400 feet away from
his house, rose quickly overnight. He said another stepson who lives nearby
alerted him.
"We woke
up and the water kept on coming," Hansford said. "It came up to my
waist." His wife told Hansford that it's the highest she's seen the creek
in the 48 years she's lived there.
In Crosby,
Mississippi, more than 50 people flooded out of a neighborhood will be housed
at a shelter in Natchez.
Wilkinson
County Chancery Clerk Thomas Tolliver said an apartment complex and surrounding
houses in the town were flooded after 10 inches of rain fell. Authorities said
they expect to shelter displaced Crosby residents at least until Monday.
Foxnews
Foxnews
Follow Solenzo Blog on
0 Comments