Gov. declares emergency; La. watches Texas-bound Hurricane Harvey

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards issued an emergency declaration Thursday, preparing the state for the possibility of flooding rains from Texas-bound Hurricane Harvey.

"This is a very serious storm," Edwards said at a news conference in Baton Rouge.

Forecasters said the center of Harvey, which reached hurricane strength Thursday, was expected to hit the Texas coast Friday or early Saturday. Heavy rains are expected to extend into Louisiana as its winds spin counter-clockwise, carrying water from the Gulf of Mexico far inland.

National Weather Service forecasts had rainfall amounts as high as 15 inches in southwest Louisiana over the next seven days, and up to six inches in the New Orleans area.

"It could be a lot more. It could be next to nothing," Barry Keim, the state climatologist at LSU, said in a telephone interview. "There's potential for some very, very big rains, depending on the track of the storm."

Edwards, who dealt with disastrous storm flooding in parts of south Louisiana just over a year ago, was accompanied by Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis, head of the Louisiana National Guard, who said the state has positioned six boats and 15 high-water vehicles in the New Orleans area and can dispatch more to other parts of the state if needed.

In New Orleans, where flash floods Aug. 5 exposed numerous problems with the pumps and pipes that remove floodwaters, Mayor Mitch Landrieu said improvements have been made and are ongoing.

"We remain in a state of diminished draining capacity," Landrieu said. He said capacity has been increased since those recent floods and that 105 of 120 pumps are working. He also noted that intense and prolonged rain can flood parts of New Orleans even when the system is at full strength.

When heavy rain two weeks ago flooded streets and buildings in parts of the city, initial statements by city officials that pumps were working at full capacity turned out to be false. Not only were some pumps out of service, there were problems with a turbine that generates power for the system.

The head of the city's Sewerage and Water Board has since resigned, and a six-member emergency team is overseeing improvements.
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