KAJN Jesus FM 102.9


8-30-17

Western Louisiana residents are bracing for more wind and water as Tropical Storm Harvey heads their way after dumping record rainfall on Texas.

Harvey made landfall in western Cameron Parish early this morning, after hitting Texas and meandering back into the Gulf of Mexico.  Forecasters say another 5 to 10 inches of rain could fall in western Louisiana. Meteorologist Roger Erickson warns that some coastal rivers won’t be able to drain rains effectively because Harvey’s winds are pushing in storm surge, aggravating flooding in areas already drenched by more than 20 inches of rain.

 

LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR THE PARISH DUE TO TROPICAL STORM HARVEY.  MEGAN KELLY HAS MORE.

 

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A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN ACADIA PARISH YESTERDAY.  SHERIFF K-P GIBSON CONFIRMED IT CAUSED SOME DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES NEAR EVANGELINE.  THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF INJURIES.  THE MOBILE HOMES THAT WERE DAMAGED WERE LOCATED NEAR THE CORNER OF HIGHWAY 97 AND NORTH RIVERSIDE ROAD.

 

GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS YESTERDAY SAID HE AUTHORIZED THE STATE TO PROVIDE FUEL FOR THE CAJUN NAVY AT THE TEXAS BORDER.  VOLUNTEERS WITH THE CAJUN NAVY WERE OUT IN BOATS IN TEXAS, HELPING RESCUE FLOOD VICTIMS, AND SOME WERE DEPLOYED MONDAY TO HELP IN LAKE CHARLES.  EDWARDS SAYS THAT, ACCORDING TO REPORTS HE’S RECEIVED, THEY HAVE PERFORMED WELL AND THEIR SERVICES HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE.  U-S SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY WAS IN YOUNGSVILLE YESTERDAY TO HELP PACK SUPPLIES FOR CAJUN NAVY MEMBERS WHO WERE PREPARING TO TRAVEL TO TEXAS.

 

AS MANY AS 400 PEOPLE WERE RESCUED BECAUSE OF FLOODWATERS IN CALCASIEU PARISH, ACCORDING TO DICK GREMILLION OF THE OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.  HE SAYS THE RESCUES TOOK PLACE IN LAKE CHARLES, IOWA, BELL CITY AND HAYES.  ANOTHER SHELTER HAS BEEN OPENED AT THE LAKE CHARLES CIVIC CENTER.  GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS VISITED LAKE CHARLES, AND HE SAYS POWER OUTAGES COULD LAST FOR AWHILE BECAUSE LINEMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE REPAIRS UNTIL CONDITIONS ARE SAFE.

 

THE UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA IS PARTNERING WITH THE UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND THE ST. LANDRY EVANGELINE UNITED WAY TO GATHER SUPPLIES FOR THE VICTIMS OF HURRICANE HARVEY.  THEY ARE COLLECTING CLEANING SUPPLIES, NON-PERISHABLE FOOD, TOILETRIES, AND BABY ITEMS TOMORROW BETWEEN NINE AND FOUR, FRIDAY BETWEEN SEVEN AND FOUR AND ON SATURDAY FROM NINE TO NOON.  THE DROP OFF SITES ARE THE WAREHOUSE AT 215 EAST PINHOOK IN LAFAYETTE, 311 WEST VINE IN OPELOUSAS AND THE FORMER SOCIAL SECURITY BUILDING AT 825 RYAN STREET IN LAKE CHARLES.  THEY ARE ALSO ACCEPTING MONETARY DONATIONS.

 

MORE THAN FORTY NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS ARE ON STANDBY IN VERMILLION PARISH IN CASE THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS CAUSED BY TROPICAL STORM HARVEY.  MAJOR NICHOLAS ACOSTA TELLS KATC TV THAT LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO SEE THEM AND THEY HELP GIVE PEACE OF MIND.  HE SAYS THEY ARE OUT DRIVING THE ROADS AND TALKING TO LOCAL RESIDENTS.  THEY HAVE FOCUSED ON AREAS THAT WERE HARDEST HIT BY LAST YEAR’S HISTORIC FLOODING.

 

Hunters will get a sales tax discount on firearms, ammunition and other hunting gear this weekend in Louisiana.  A state law exempts such purchases from all local sales taxes and two cents of the state sales tax during the first weekend in September.  The state Department of Revenue says in a news release that this year, the Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday runs from Friday through Sunday.  People will pay 3 percent state sales tax instead of 5 percent.