Edwards: St. Mary among areas vulnerable to storm surge

Gov. John Bel Edwards said Friday that he's requesting an early emergency declaration from the White House as Tropical Storm Cristobal heads toward a late Sunday landfall on or near the south central Louisiana coast.

The National Weather Service has identified flooding as the major threat posed by Cristobal. And at one of the press conferences usually devoted to COVID-19, Edwards said the coastal areas from St. Mary Parish east to St. Bernard are the biggest source of concern for storm surge impacts.

The National Weather Service is predicting a storm surge of 2 to 4 feet above normal. Tides are already running a foot above normal, the service said.

The same areas bore the brunt of the storm surge from Hurricane Barry, Edwards said.

Predictions are for 4-6 inches of rain across wide portions of Louisiana. East of the center of the storm, 6-10 inches are possible, raising the specter of flash flooding, river flooding and coastal flooding.

And if rain bands settle in, some areas could see 10-15 inches, which the governor called the most reasonable worst case.

"One of the good indications is that they have the storm moving north pretty quickly," Edwards said. That offers hope that Cristobal won't park over land and generate even more rain.

Edwards passed along a Department of Transportation and Development warning against driving into standing water without being certain how deep it is.

Wind speeds depend on several factors, but winds of 60 mph are possible, Edwards said. Tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph are possible in central and even north Louisiana.

Also at Friday's press conference, Edwards said he's glad that Louisiana protests in support of racial justice have generally been without the looting and property damage seen elsewhere.

"I'm extremely gratified that the overwhelming majority of these events are entirely peaceful and nonviolent without any of the property damage or injuries or things of that nature," Edwards said.

"I think as a result [protesters'] voices are being heard," Edwards said, "and need to be heard."

When violence has occurred, he said, it appears to have been the work of a few individuals and not part of an organized effort. A Friday incident in which a vehicle was driven into a Hammond shopping center does not appear to be related to protests resulting from the death of George Floyd, Edwards said, "although I don't entirely rule that out."