Storm’s damage in southwest Louisiana not as bad as first feared, Gov. Edwards says
Tropical Storm Harvey did not cause as much havoc in southwest Louisiana on Wednesday (Aug. 30) as expected, so Louisiana is sending National Guard troops, wildlife and fisheries agents and others across the border to help with rescue efforts in Texas . “Obviously things are not as bad as had been forecasted. So we are thankful for that, ” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “But our neighbors are still taking it on the chin.”
Edwards said Texas authorities are having a difficult time accessing the coastal city of Port Arthur from the west. So Louisiana authorities are going to try to reach it from the east, beyond the Sabine River.
About 330 people from the two states were staying Wednesday in shelters in the Lake Charles area. Edwards said he expected that number to rise, in part because people from Texas will need a place to go if they are rescued from damaged houses.
Interstate 10 near the Louisiana-Texas border was closed, and Louisiana asked people not to drive or take boats to south Texas unless they have coordinated with Texas authorities. Attempts were underway to divert commercial traffic off I-10.
“Do not load up your car or truck and head to Texas, ” Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said. “You can’t get in.”
Louisiana has also offered to shelter thousands of Texans in Shreveport. Texas authorities are supposed to tell Louisiana by Thursday if they will need the extra shelter capacity. The shelters could be open as soon as Saturday, according to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
Harvey made landfall Friday on the Texas coast, lingered, returned to the Gulf of Mexico and entered Louisiana early Wednesday near Cameron. It’s expected to exit Louisiana over the northeastern portion of the state.
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Julia O’Donoghue is a state politics reporter based in Baton Rouge. She can be reached at jodonoghue@nola.com or on Twitter at @jsodonoghue. Please consider following us on Facebook at NOLA.com .
