8-26-20
More than half a million people have been ordered to evacuate the Louisiana and Texas coasts ahead of Hurricane Laura. It is the largest U.S. evacuation of the pandemic. Forecasters expect Laura to be a major Category 3 hurricane before hitting the U.S. coastline late tonight or early Thursday. The National Hurricane Center warns of potentially devastating damage. Scientists predict up to 13 feet of storm surge, which could inundate the coastline.
THE LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD IS READY TO MOBILIZE IN THE HARDEST HIT AREAS AFTER HURRICANE LAURA BLOWS THROUGH. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
VOICER Q :23
CURFEWS GO INTO EFFECT TONIGHT AS HURRICANE LAURA APPROACHES. LAFAYETTE PARISH’S CURFEW IS FROM EIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL SIX A-M THURSDAY. ST. MARTIN PARISH HAS A CURFEW FROM EIGHT TO SEVEN AND TOMORROW NIGHT FROM SIX TO SIX. IBERIA PARISH’S CURFEW BEGINS AT NINE TONIGHT WHILE ACADIA PARISH’S CURFEW IS FROM DUSK TO DAWN BOTH TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT. JEFF DAVIS PARISH’S CURFEW BEGINS AT SUNSET ON THURSDAY AND CONTINUES TO DAWN ON FRIDAY. CALCASIEU PARISH HAS A DUSK TO DAWN CURFEW FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT TWO DAYS. GUEYDAN HAS A CURFEW THAT STARTS AT MIDNIGHT AND LASTS UNTIL FIVE A-M, WHILE VILLE PLATTE HAS A CITYWIDE CURFEW BEGINNING AT EIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL FIVE A-M.
ENTERGY IS USING THE RAYNE FROG FESTIVAL GROUNDS AS A STAGING AREA FOR UTILITY TRUCKS THAT ARE READY TO RESTORE POWER WHEN CONDITIONS ALLOW. UTILITY TRUCKS AND PERSONNEL ARE ALSO USING THE PARKING LOT AT THE ACADIA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND OTHER BUSINESSES IN CROWLEY. RAYNE MAYOR CHUCK ROBICHAUX SAYS THEY’VE LIFTED THE LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF SANDBAGS THAT CAN BE FILLED AS HURRICANE LAURA WORSENS. SOME BUSINESSES IN CROWLEY ARE BOARDING UP IN PREPARATIONG FOR THE STORM.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REPORTS THAT THERE ARE THIRTY-THREE MORE DEATHS IN THE STATE FROM COVID-NINETEEN. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS IN THE STATE TO FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY-SIX. THERE ARE FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY MORE CASES OF CORONOVIRUS. THAT’S THE LOWEST AMOUNT REPORTED IN MONTHS. THERE NINE FEWER PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-NINETEEN AND THE NUMBER ON VENTILATORS DECLINED BY ELEVEN.
ACADIANA HAD NINE MORE DEATHS FROM COVID-NINETEEN. LAFAYETTE AND ST.MARTIN PARISHES HAD THREE EACH, WHILE EVANGELINE, ST. LANDRY AND ST.MARY PARISHES EACH HAD ONE. THE REGION HAD ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE NEW CASES INCLUDING ST.MARTIN PARISH WITH EIGHTY-NINE MORE. BUT LAFAYETTE PARISH’S TOTAL WAS ADJUSTED DOWN BY THIRTY-TWO. THE TOTAL IS TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO CASES.
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ONLY HAD TWENTY-SEVEN NEW CASES. THE TOTAL IS CLOSING IN ON ELEVEN THOUSAND WITH A TOTAL OF TEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FIFTY-SIX CASES. THERE WERE TWO ADDITIONAL DEATHS IN THE REGION, BOTH IN BEAUGEGARD PARISH. THE TOTAL IS TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE.
LAFAYETTE POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR PEOPLE WHO BROKE INTO AND RANSACKED A CITI TRENDS STORE AFTER A PEACEFUL PROTEST OVER THE WEEKEND. SERGEANT WAYNE GRIFFIN SAYS THERE WAS ALSO A FIGHT WHICH LED TO GUNSHOTS AND TWO PEOPLE WOUNDED. GRIFFIN SAYS THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE DISTURBANCE WERE CONNECTED TO THE PROTEST. HE SAYS TWO PEOPLE ARE WANTED FOR LOOTING AND ANOTHER IS BEING SOUGHT FOR FIGHTING AND LOOTING.
