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THE NATIONAL GUARD HAS POSITIONED TROOPS IN HIGH WATER VEHICLES IN CASE RESCUES NEED TO BE MADE IN LAFAYETTE, VERMILLION AND CALCASIEU PARISHES. LAFAYETTE MAYOR-PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR THE PARISH YESTERDAY. PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION FOR LOUISIANA WHICH MAKES FEDERAL EMERGENCY AID AVAILABLE FOR AREAS AFFECTED BY TROPICAL STORM HARVEY. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR ALL OF ACADIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.
Houses in Lake Charles are beginning to flood as rains from Tropical Storm Harvey continue. Christina Wells said floodwater began to enter her house about 7 p.m. Monday. The 25-year-old says water is up to chest deep in parts of her neighborhood in southern Lake Charles. People in elevated pickup trucks and at least one man with a boat were trying to reach houses in the subdivision to bring other people out.
A HOUSE NEAR EGAN WAS DAMAGED BY A SUSPECTED TORNADO MONDAY MORNING. MEGAN KELLY REPORTS.
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GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS TOLD REPORTERS HE’S EXPECTING THE THREAT TO RISE FROM TROPICAL STORM HARVEY AS THE OUTER RAIN BANDS SWEEP INTO LOUISIANA. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METOROLOGIST DONALD JONES SAYS SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA COULD GET BETWEEN TEN TO 15 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS, WHICH IS ON TOP OF ABOUT EIGHT INCHES THAT FELL ON MONDAY. CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF TONY MANCUSO SAYS THEIR HIGH WATER TEAM WAS DEPLOYED ON SUNDAY AND THEY HAVE INCREASED PATROLS BY FIFTY PERCENT. HE SAYS THE RIVERS, BAYOUS AND DITCHES ARE ABOUT FULL AND THE WATER HAS NOWHERE TO GO.
WITH TROPICAL STORM HARVEY LOOMING IN THE NORTHWEST GULF, MOST SCHOOLS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND ACADIANA WILL BE CLOSED TODAY. MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY HAS CANCELED CLASSES FOR TODAY, AND THIS MORNING, U-L LAFAYETTE DECIDE TO ALSO CANCEL CLASSES. CAMERON PARISH OFFICIALS HAVE REINSTATED A MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR RESIDENTS SOUTH OF INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY. PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED BY FLOODING WERE BUSSED TO THE PURPLE HEART MEMORIAL RECREATIONAL CENTER ON AVENUE H IN LAKE CHARLES MONDAY NIGHT, WHERE A SHELTER HAS BEEN SET UP.
IBERIA PARISH PRESIDENT M. LARRY RICHARD ISSUED A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION AT TWO YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. HE SAYS THAT IT WILL BECOME MANDATORY AS THE WEATHER WORSENS AND A SHELTER WILL BE PUT IN PLACE. SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPOKESMAN WENDELL RABORN SAYS THEY ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MOTORISTS DRIVING VEHICLES RECKLESSLY THROUGH WATER-COVERED ROADS, PUSHING THE WATER INTO HOMES AND BUSINESSES. HE SAYS DEPUTIES WILL ARREST THOSE DRIVERS AND THEY WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES AND COULD FACE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
VOLUNTEERS WITH THE CAJUN NAVY IN LAFAYETTE, BATON ROUGE AND ST. CHARLES DEPLOYED AS MUCH 150 BOATS INTO TEXAS TO HELP WITH RESCUE EFFORTS THERE. THREE MEN FROM ST. TAMMANY PARISH HAD JUST ARRIVED MONDAY MORNING WHEN THEY FOUND A 73-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FACE DOWN IN THE WATER IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON AND MANAGED TO GET HER IN THE BOAT AND REVIVE HER. THE CAJUN NAVY IN BATON ROUGE WAS GATHERING DONATED MONEY AND SUPPLIES FROM SHOPPERS AT A COSTCO YESTERDAY. CONGRESSMAN GARRETT GRAVES WAS THERE ENCOURAGING THE VOLUNTEERS AND COORDINATING WITH THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS SO THEY WOULD KNOW WHERE TO GO.
THE TWO MISSISSIPPI MEN, HIRED BY LAFAYETTE BUSINESSMAN LAWRENCE MICHAEL HANDLEY TO KIDNAP HIS WIFE, POSED AS SALESMEN TO GAIN ENTRANCE TO HER HOUSE, ACCORDING TO AN ARREST DOCUMENT RELEASED MONDAY. THEY FORCED HANDLEY’S WIFE INTO A VAN HE HAD RENTED IN BATON ROUGE. ACCORDING TO AN AFFADAVIT OBTAINED BY THE ADVOCATE NEWSPAPER, HANDLEY TRIED CALLING HIS WIFE AND SENT THREATENING TEXTS DAYS BEFORE THE AUGUST SIXTH KIDNAPPING, WHICH WAS IN VIOLATION OF A PROTECTIVE ORDER FORBIDDING CONTACT WITH HER. HANDLEY IS IN THE LAFAYETTE PARISH JAIL ON TWO COUNTS OF CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SECOND DEGREE KIDNAPPING AND ONE COUNT OF ONLINE IMPERSONATION, AND HIS BOND HAS BEEN SET AT 266 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
