9-12-24
Francine has weakened to a tropical storm after slamming into Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane, causing widespread power outages and sending a dangerous storm surge rushing into coastal communities. The National Hurricane Center predicted the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season will weaken further today to a tropical depression as it moves northward across Mississippi. Francine made landfall Wednesday evening with 100 mph winds, knocking out power to more than 275,000 customers in Louisiana and dumping heavy rains around the state, including in New Orleans. Heavy rains and possible flash floods are in the forecast for Mississippi as well as parts of Alabama, Georgia and west Tennessee.
SYLVIA MASTERS HAS A BREAKDOWN OF THE AREAS WITH THE MOST POWER OUTAGES.
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HURRICANE FRANCIS DIDN’T CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE IN ACADIANA BUT THERE WAS SOME. TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN NEW IBERIA INCLUDING BEHIND THE MCDONALDS AT DARBY LANE AND OLD SPANISH TRAIL. THERE WERE ALSO SOME DOWNED POWER LINES. IN SAINT MARTIN PARISH, L-A SEVENTY WAS CLOSED DUE TO MULTIPLE TREES FALLING ON THE ROADWAY BETWEEN BELLE RIVER AND STEPHENSVILLE ROAD. FLOODING WAS ALSO REPORTED IN THE ONE THOUSAND BLOCK OF STEPHENSVILLE ROAD AND BAYOU ESTATE SUBDIVISION.
A FAMILY IN MORGAN CITY WAS RESCUED BY FIREFIGHTERS YESTERDAY. AS HURRICANE FRANCINE PASSED, A LARGE TREE FELL ON A HOME, KNOCKING IT OFF OF ITS FOUNDATION AND ONTO A GAS METER. FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AS GAS STARTED SPEWING. A COUPLE AND TWO CHILDREN WERE RESCUED FROM THE HOME AS FIREFIGHTERS WORKED TO TURN OFF THE GAS.
SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN ACADIANA WILL BE CLOSED TODAY. THEY INCLUDE, LAFAYETTE, SAINT MARTIN, IBERIA, VERMILLION AND SAINT MARY PARISHES. ACADIA, SAINT LANDRY, EVANGELINE AND JEFF DAVIS PARISHES WILL BE OPEN FOR CLASSES TODAY. U-L LAFAYETTE WILL REOPEN AT NOON TODAY. THE L-S-U-E CAMPUS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY.
GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE AT GOHSEP. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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ACADIANA WASTE SERVICES WILL RESUME COLLECTION ROUTES TODAY IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. COLLECTION WILL BE PUSHED BACK A DAY FOR ALL RESIDENTS THROUGH SATURDAY. SO THOSE WHOSE TRASH IS PICKED UP ON WEDNESDAYS WILL GET IT COLLECTED TODAY. THAT’S THE CASE AS WELL IN ACADIA PARISH. IN YOUNGSVILLE, WEDNESDAY CUSTOMERS WILL BE SERVICED ON FRIDAY AND THURSDAY CUSTOMERS WILL BE SERVICED SATURDAY, WHILE RECYCLING SERVICES WILL RESUME NEXT WEEK. IN BROUSSARD, WASTE MANAGEMENT WILL BE COLLECTING WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY CUSTOMERS ON THEIR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED DAY. THEY’LL RESUME REGULAR COLLECTIONS FRIDAY.
COTEAU WATER’S MAIN GENERATOR FOR THE WATER PLANT EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS DURING THE POWER OUTAGE. ANOTHER GENERATOR IS BEING BROUGHT IN AND WILL BE KEPT ONSITE UNTIL REPAIRS ARE MADE. IBERIA PARISH PRESIDENT LARRY RICHARD ISSUED A BOIL ADVISORY FOR THE AREA. RICHARD ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT THE COURTHOUSE AND IBERIA PARISH GOVERNMENT OFFICES WILL REOPEN TODAY.
