Louisiana
Jeff Landry urges Louisiana residents to stay safe during deep freeze
Gov. Jeff Landry urged residents in north and central Louisiana to stay off the roads and use warming centers as freezing temperatures lingered in parts of the state Monday and tens of thousands of households remained without power.
“We are still experiencing and going to continue to experience some bitter cold temperatures,” Landry said during a press conference at the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. “The good news is that the rain and the sleet is gone.”
State officials said there have been at least three deaths related to the extreme weather, which brought snow and ice to parts of Louisiana over the weekend. Two people died of hypothermia and a third man died of carbon monoxide poisoning, said Bruce Greenstein, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. The agency is awaiting word from the coroner to confirm that two additional people died of hypothermia, he said.
The man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning was running a generator inside his garage, Greenstein said, warning Louisianans to keep generators at least 20 feet away from their homes. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is present when fuel is burned.
Officials said they typically see an increase in fire-related deaths during extreme cold weather. They urged residents to take care when using items such as space heaters.
The state is investigating its 13th fire fatality of the year, said Bryan Adams, Louisiana’s state fire marshal. Adams said it was unprecedented to have that number of deaths this early in the year and reminded Louisianans to plug space heaters directly into power outlets and keep them 3 to 5 feet away from flammable items such as blankets and curtains.
As of early Monday afternoon, the state had opened 76 warming shelters and was working to get 14 more up and running, said Greenstein. Anyone in need of a warm place to stay could visit the shelters, which will remain open overnight, he said.
Below freezing temperatures were expected to continue in much of Louisiana over the next several nights, said Jay Grymes, the state climatologist.
“The dangerous and potentially deadly cold will continue through the week. In fact for today a good bit of north Louisiana will not get above freezing,” he said. “We could see a reinforcing surge of Arctic air this upcoming weekend that could take Louisiana back down into the teens for Saturday and Sunday morning.”
About 1,500 employees with the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development were working to reopen roads where they could, Landry said, warning drivers to beware of icy road conditions and stay off the roads if possible.
Some residents were expected to remain without power until at least Thursday.
Phillip May, president of Entergy, said the company planned to restore power by Wednesday for 90% of affected customers in areas without road access issues, which applied primarily to people along the Interstate 20 corridor, May said.
For those in areas with road access issues, 90% of affected customers would see their power restored by Thursday, he said.
“Ninety percent means that most of those customers will be restored before that. It also means that some customers will linger on into a few more days if they have very significant damage,” May said. “We have seen extreme damage due to ice accumulation particularly in that corridor along the I-20 and then moving up to that northeast portion of the state.”
Officials encouraged people to check on their neighbors’ safety and bring their pets and plants inside.
Landry encouraged Louisianans to visit getagameplan.org for more information about how to stay safe during the extreme weather.
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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