Louisiana Evacuations. Military Deployed

By Deborah Dupré

Update: Thursday, 10 March 2016 12:00 PM

By Thursday morning, officials in north Louisiana had evacuated 3,500 home in Bossier City as Red Chute Bayou nears the top of its levee. Heavy rain continued across much of north Louisiana on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning with another 3 inches. A weather spotter north of Monroe reported 18.1 inches of rain since Tuesday night. Worst of the slow-moving storm has yet to reach more heavily populated and lower-lying area including Baton Rouge, New Orelans, and the Gulf Coast.

Original Story

The military has been deployed in Louisiana for forced evacuation orders and rescue operations as residents struggle to high dry ground amid an extreme El Nino rain and storm event drowning the state. Over 14 inches of rain have fallen over the past day. The entire state faces even greater risk over coming days. The governor has called a state of emergency as water continues rising, predicted to impact millions of residents from the state’s north all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico coast. 

[Watch Louisiana Apocalyptic Flooding]

The hottest El Nino on record has brought a day-long rain and storm event is underway, spelling major concerns about severe flooding due to impact millions of people. Severe area storms are expected to continue throughout the next 48 hours and beyong. Tornadoes as well as flooding is expected. Over a foot of rain is expected over the next 24 hours, as the Mighty Mississippi swells with even more water draining into it from the north.

[Photo above: Sgt. Rebekah Malone, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office prepared to help flood victims in 2011]

Two deaths are confirmed from flooding. Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for six parishes (counties) and sent the National Guard to help with rescues. In Bossier Parish. People have been pulled from rubble covering them.

Boats are transporting families from their rooftops and out of their flooded homes. Residents are strongly warned to avoid driving on bridges.

“The NOPD will ticket motorists who drive faster than 5 mph on streets with standing water,” New Orleans officials told the Times-Picayune. Jefferson County has implemented similar measures.

Socking images of submerged homes appearing on Twitter are due to become more so as the waters continue to rise.

A flash flood watch has just bee issued for Thursday in south Louisiana where the 3-day forecast calls for up to a foot of rain in some areas. The latest forecast is for approximately 10 inches of rain in New Orleans and five inches in Baton Rouge.

All Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, Natchitoches, Sabine and Webster parish public schools will be closed Thursday following the severe weather to hit the area, according to WTVM. All additional closures and delays can be found on their website.

New Orleans officials reminded residents that driving in flooded streets is prohibited, because it increases chances of sending waves into surrounding businesses and homes.

This is only the beginning, all forecasters warn. Extraordinary amounts of record-setting hot El Nino’s rain and melting snow will traverse south for weeks, swelling rivers, including the Mississippi and others, and swamps, increasing flooding throughout Cajun land.

Louisiana residents are grateful the National Guard is there to assist with rescue operations and prevention strategies. “The Louisiana National Guard, as directed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, has deployed Soldiers and equipment to Bossier, Webster and Caddo Parishes to assist local agencies in response to significant flooding due to heavy rain in the northwest part of the state Wednesday,” the Guard states in a written statement.

“Early Wednesday, four high-water vehicles and eight Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment in Shreveport, began conducting operations in Bossier Parish.”

The statement says that sixteen additional Soldiers and eight high-water vehicles are beginning operations in the three affected parishes plus it has been authorized to activate up to 200 Guard members as needed to respond to flooding, as well as utilizing existing full-time Guard members.

“These operations could include evacuations, search and rescue, distribution and supply of water and meals, security and shelter support, and distribution of sandbags and sandbag-filling machines.

“The LANG has begun prepping another 36 high-water vehicles and 16 boats in an effort to quickly respond if needed.”

Louisiana Drowing Under Its Fossil Fuel Politics 

Hurricane Katrina’s worst damage was from flooding, tainted with carcinogenic crude oil from the state’s hundreds of refineries, that leaked at least 1 million gallons of oil. Big oil was never held accountable for that nor did it ever compensate Louisiana victims for that disaster.

Raw footage below:

Big Oil also never compensated humanity for untold destruction caused by their deliberate lies about global warming science, largely responsible for today’s violent weather. They continue fighting attempts to stop dangerous climate change. 

Louisiana has supported Hillary Clinton’s candidacy for president. Fossil fuel interests have pumped $3.25 million into the largest super PAC supporting Clinton’s candidacy. The Intercept reports that many of Clinton’s largest fundraisers are oil and gas corporation lobbyists. “Some of her largest contribution bundlers are lobbyists representing Chevron, Cheniere Energy, and TransCanada — all companies using fracking.” Loss of life, health, homes, livelihood and culture is the price of non-renewable energy addiciton.