Meteorologists warn of more threat from storms

Staff Report
Despite the blue skies and fluffy white clouds that appeared over the Tri-City area Wednesday, people across the region continued to watch the weather Wednesday during what is turning into a weeklong rain event.
The National Weather Service in Lake Charles is warning of up to 4 more inches of rain across portions of south Louisiana.
St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars declared an emergency Tuesday and a no-wake zone for lower St. Martin. The parish announced do-it-yourself sandbags at Stephensville Park, 3257 La. 70.
Also Tuesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards said the storm claimed at least one life in Baton Rouge and may be responsible for three others either because of flooding or utility-related accidents.
The storms that dumped up to 15 inches of rain from Lake Charles to Baton Rouge also knocked out power to many customers in those areas, including 25,000 in Baton Rouge alone. The poweroutage.us website reported no blackouts in Louisiana Wednesday morning.
The forecast for St. Mary is for an 80% chance of heavy rain Wednesday, diminishing slightly Wednesday night and 80% again Thursday.
Three weather advisories are in effect here:
—A flash flood watch through Thursday. The combination of swollen streams and ditches and heavy rain on already saturated ground could lead to street flooding. Drivers are cautioned not to drive into standing water unless they’re absolutely sure how deep it is.
—A wind advisory until 7 p.m. Wednesday. Southeast winds of 15-25 mph with gusts to 30 mph are in the forecast. The wind will be strong enough to bring down some limbs and cause power outages.
—A coastal flood advisory until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Tides are expected to run 1.5 to 2 feet higher than normal.
The Atchafalaya River at Morgan City, which tends to be affected more by high water in the Mississippi and Red river systems than on local precipitation, was at 5.3 feet at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday. That’s well below the 6.0 stage that causes minor flooding between the Morgan City and Berwick flood walls.
The river is expected to go no higher than 5.6 feet through Monday.
The confirmed weather-related fatality was a man whose body was found in a flooded vehicle on Bluebonnet Boulevard in Baton Rouge, the governor said at his press conference Tuesday.
In addition to the three other deaths suspected of being caused by the weather, one person was injured and another was missing, Edwards said.
The National Guard has been called in to help with rescue and recovery efforts. Dozens of people in Lake Charles and Baton Rouge were pulled from homes or cars Monday by emergency responders.
Edwards declared an emergency Monday in response to flooding in south Louisiana.
On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., made a pitch for aid on the floor of the Senate.
“The number of homes and businesses that flooded in both Lake Charles and Baton Rouge is not known at the moment,” Cassidy said. “We will continue to hear distressing and saddening stories about the loss of both life and property throughout south Louisiana in the coming days. … But Americans are at our best when we help those in need. And folks in Louisiana are resilient.”
Cassidy asked for a disaster supplement, legislation to help Louisiana communities recover from last year’s natural disasters including a record year for hurricanes.
“While some outside of our state have already forgotten about the natural disasters of 2020, Louisiana has not, many have yet to return to their homes,” Cassidy said. “We cannot afford to allow the impact of an entire years’ worth of natural disasters to go unaddressed.”
The Roads Department of the St. Mary Parish Government has informed the SMPSO that Duhon By-Pass Road off La. 182 in Amelia is now closed and will remain closed for the next couple of days.