Federal Emergency Declaration Approved for Louisiana

On Aug. 28, President Donald Trump approved Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ Federal Emergency Declaration request for Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis and Vermillion Parishes. The president’s approval opened the way for federal assistance in the state’s recovery from Tropical Storm Harvey.

“We are very grateful for the assistance and because this is an ongoing event, we continue to monitor the changing conditions of the storm and will move every available state and federal resource where they are needed most,” Gov. Edwards said in a prepared statement.

By Aug. 29 the slow-moving former Hurricane Harvey was continuing to dump rain on both sides of the Texas/Louisiana border.

Speaking at a press conference, Gov. Edwards said the state has “a long way to go with this particular storm. … This is going to play out over several days.” What was once a Category 4 storm was expected to move further east and then turn northward, path that “makes for a dangerous situation, especially for those people in the western portion of our state,” Edwards said.

While it was anticipated that Harvey would be “primarily a rain event” in Louisiana, Edwards noted that with tornadoes developing in association with the storm Louisianans should “take those tornado watches and warnings very seriously.”

Edwards said more parishes could be added to the emergency declaration.

Despite facing its own weather troubles, Louisiana dispatched teams of wildlife and fisheries agents to neighboring Texas to help with rescue efforts. Richard Carbo, a spokesman for Gov. Edwards, said in a text message that 10 agents, 10 trucks and 10 boats had been sent, along with personnel to help Texas officials coordinate other out-of-state resources.

Harvey, the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade, came ashore late on Aug. 25 about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, as a Category 4 storm.