Louisiana
Tropical rainstorm to bring deluge of rain to Texas, Louisiana
This AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue satellite image shows the strengthening tropical rainstorm over the Yucatan Peninsula late on Sunday, June 16. |
After a tropical rainstorm brought heavy rainfall to portions of Florida last week, AccuWeather hurricane experts warn that yet another tropical rainstorm is expected to impact the southern U.S. in the coming days.
In addition to the tropical rainstorm, two other areas in the Atlantic Basin are being monitored for tropical development later this week. It is possible that one of these areas could strengthen into Alberto, becoming the first named storm of the season.
AccuWeather began to highlight portions of the western Gulf of Mexico as a high risk on Thursday afternoon. A tropical rainstorm developed late on Sunday and is forecast to steer toward the border between Mexico and Texas early this week. The storm is expected to drift north-northwestward into Wednesday, bringing with it rounds of heavy rain.
“Very warm waters in this area of the Gulf, as well as low wind shear will make this a conducive environment the tropical rainstorm to strengthen,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
Given these factors, the rainstorm is forecast to strengthen into a tropical depression, then a tropical storm right before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast of Mexico. Should the storm produce sustained winds of 39 mph or greater prior to any other development in the Atlantic Basin, it would be given the name Alberto.
A tropical storm is likely to bring widespread gusts to the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, as well as portions of South Texas. Some storm surge can also be expected along the coast north of the storm’s landfall. For both Mexico and the United States, given the risk for damaging winds, storm surge and flooding rainfall, this storm is a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes.
Given the limited time over water and close proximity to land, the tropical system will need to intensify quickly in order to reach tropical storm strength before landfall late on Wednesday.
“Even if the tropical storm falls short of reaching tropical storm status, a plume of rich, deep tropical moisture is expected to surge into Mexico, Texas and Louisiana into the middle of the week,” Pydynowski explained.
Heavy rain is forecast to extend well north of the center of the storm, beginning as early as Monday.
A wet Monday morning commute is expected along the Interstate 10 corridor from New Orleans to Houston, as downpours threaten to slow travel, reduced visibility and cause flooding. Rain is forecast to continue into Wednesday before some of the heavier downpours shift north up the Mississippi River Valley and westward into more of Texas.
The ample supply of tropical moisture could allow rainfall totals to add up quickly, bringing the risk for over half a foot of rain across parts of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coasts. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 30 inches is possible in the hardest-hit areas, resulting in road closures.
The Houston area has already received over 6 inches of rain through the first half of June, which is an amount more typical for the entire month. This new round of heavy rainfall to the already drenched area could bring renewed flooding woes for southeastern Texas.
Other zones along the Gulf Coast could use the rain. Brownsville, Texas, has only had 0.17 of an inch of rain so far in June, 14% of the historical average. In New Orleans, only 10% of the month’s typical rain fell in the first 15 days of June. In these areas, the soil may be so dry from the lack of recent rain that flash flooding could occur in the heavier downpours.
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Behind this wave of tropical rainfall, it’s not out of the question that another tropical system could form near the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico late in the week.
“With warm waters and low shear still present in the southern Gulf of Mexico and northwestern Caribbean next weekend, yet another opportunity for tropical development may present itself,” warned Pydynowski.
Depending on the wind pattern in the atmosphere, any moisture from this area may again funnel into the Gulf Coast for the last week of June. Given the expected rain in the coming week, the risk for localized flooding may increase.
As the middle of the week approaches, yet another area could see a developing tropical system, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
“This appears to be a quick-moving and compact low pressure area that will be moving westward into northeastern Florida or perhaps as far north as southeastern Georgia on Thursday,” said Pydynowski.
A stronger storm could bring gusty winds, especially to coastal locations. But even a less-organized storm would bring rough surf and downpours from the northern Bahamas to the Southeast Atlantic Coast.
Heavy tropical rainfall may hit some of the same areas that were drenched with last week’s tropical rainstorm. The highest rainfall totals are likely to miss to the north of Miami, which had over 11 inches of rain, and the town of Aventura, where 20 inches of rain fell. Instead, locations from Melbourne, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina, may be more at risk for the heavy rain.
The zone currently primed for the heaviest rain has had very little rain so far this month, including Jacksonville, Florida, which only has reported 0.64 of an inch.
Forecasters will continue to monitor the development potential of all three areas throughout the week.
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Louisiana
Report: See where Louisiana ranks for mental health in 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana ranks as the second-worst state in 2025 for mental health.
Soliant Health researchers ranked all 50 U.S. states in a study. It examined their mental and physical health, jobs, and access to healthy food.
The report says Louisiana has the fifth-lowest physical activity participation rate. The state has the fourth-highest average number of poor mental health days and the third-highest percentage of limited access to healthy food. Louisiana finished with a score of 23.1 out of 100.
Experts listed North Dakota as the best state for mental health, giving it a score of 82.
The worst state, according to the report, is West Virginia, with a score of 21.9.
“A standout finding from our analysis is the clear link between a state’s disconnected youth rate and its performance in key areas like mental health and employment. Disconnected youth—those not in school or working—face greater risks of mental health struggles, including vulnerability to violence, substance abuse, and emotional challenges,” said Soliant Senior Vice President of Education Lesley Slaughter. “They’re also more likely to encounter unemployment, poverty, and long-term mental health issues later in life. This correlation underscores just how critical school-based healthcare professionals are; they don’t just support students’ emotional well-being but also lay the foundation for brighter futures, helping today’s youth grow into thriving, healthy adults.”
The 10 worst states for mental health in 2025, according to Soliant
- West Virginia — 21.9
- Louisiana — 23.1
- Arkansas — 26.6
- Nevada — 26.7
- Mississippi — 31.5
- New Mexico — 31.9
- Kentucky — 34.8
- South Carolina — 38.5
- Oklahoma — 39.7
- Texas — 39.9
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Louisiana
Bourbon Street area designated as 'enhanced security zone' for Super Bowl • Louisiana Illuminator
Heightened security restrictions will be in effect for the busiest section of the French Quarter starting next Wednesday through at least the day after Super Bowl LIX is played, Gov. Jeff Landry announced Wednesday.
The additional safety measures follow a Jan. 1 terrorist attack that killed 14 people and injured 57 others. They apply to the first seven blocks of Bourbon Street and the parallel streets one block on each side. All blocks between Royal and Dauphine streets will become an “enhanced security zone,” where certain items will be prohibited and personal accessories could be searched or seized.
Ice chests and backpack coolers will not be allowed inside the zone. People are also discouraged from bringing standard backpacks, large purses, suitcases, fanny packs, large shopping bags and camera bags into the area. Any bags larger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches – roughly the size of a clutch purse – will be subject to search, Landry said.
Anyone who refuses a police search will be denied entry to the security zone. Police also have the authority to search bags within the area, and they will remove anyone who doesn’t comply.
“We want cooperation with the public and balancing freedoms to enjoy the Quarter, with the need for these heightened security measures based upon the threat level that we saw on January 1,” the governor said during a news conference at the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
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Ice chests have been singled out for exclusion after Shamsud-Din Jabbar placed homemade explosive devices in two coolers and left them at separate locations in the midst of Bourbon Street revelers in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The FBI said a third bomb and a detonating device were found inside Jabbar’s rented pickup that he drove down three crowded blocks of Bourbon before crashing into a mobile lift platform.
Police killed Jabbar, a 42-year-old IT worker and U.S. Army veteran from Houston, in a shootout. He flew an Islamic State flag from the truck and had posted videos online ahead of the attack professing his extremist beliefs.
Landry created the security zone and provided police with enhanced powers inside of it through an executive order. It renewed the state of emergency he declared Jan. 1 for New Orleans, and its language indicates it could potentially be extended into Carnival season.
Read the governor’s order below
“We are going to focus on the Super Bowl right now,” the governor said. “We then will pivot once we get through the Super Bowl to Mardi Gras,” implying there will be heightened safety measures in place again for the French Quarter and potentially along parade routes.
The governor’s order does not apply to the Superdome, where the NFL and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are handling security precautions for the Super Bowl. Landry said state and city law enforcement officers will be working within their perimeters, however.
“As you move closer to the Superdome, the security restrictions are enhanced,” Landry said.
Several streets in the vicinity of the stadium and Smoothie King Center are already closed to traffic. More will be blocked when pre-Super Bowl events take place at other downtown locations, including the Morial New Orleans Convention Center and the Saenger Theater.
The NFL championship game takes place Sunday, Feb. 9.
In addition to local, state and federal law enforcement, there will be 350 members of the Louisiana National Guard dispatched to New Orleans to assist with traffic control and security checkpoints, according to the governor.
In addition to heightened security, the temporary homeless Landry established near the Gentilly neighborhood will be used through Mardi Gras, he said. There are currently 176 people staying at a contractor-staffed Port of New Orleans storage facility on France Road, the governor said.
Landry clashed with some city officials when directed Louisiana State Police to remove unhoused people from encampments in close proximity to the Superdome. He used his emergency powers to award a contract to operate the temporary shelter, where he said residents are receiving services that “are exponentially better than the ones they were receiving on the street.”
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Louisiana
Louisiana environmental activist loses freedom of speech lawsuit against parish officials
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana parish officials who threatened to arrest and imprison an environmental activist as she attempted to speak during a public meeting did not violate her right to freedom of speech, a unanimous civil jury ruled Wednesday.
Joy Banner had sought more than $2 million in damages from two St. John the Baptist parish officials — Parish President Jaclyn Hotard and councilmember Michael Wright — who she said blocked her from raising allegations of corruption tied to industrial development at a public meeting. While Banner’s attorneys said the case had important implications for protecting outspoken citizens from government censorship, lawyers representing the parish said they were model officials trying to curtail disruption and keep the meeting on track.
The case is part of a broader series of disputes playing out in courts and public hearings between grassroots community groups and Louisiana officials over industrial expansion in the 85-mile (136-kilometer) chemical corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, often referred to by environmental activists as “Cancer Alley” because of its high pollution levels.
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Banner, co-founder of the environmental and racial justice organization The Descendants Project, gained a national reputation fighting against an $800 million grain terminal slated for her predominantly Black community in St. John the Baptist parish. The project was later aborted.
In a November 2023 parish council meeting, Banner sought to oppose an agenda item introduced by Hotard to use taxpayer funds for a lawyer to defend parish officials from ethics complaints. The state ethics board had launched an investigation after Banner filed a complaint pointing out that Hotard’s mother-in-law, Darla Gaudet, owned a marine transport company that owned land near the proposed site for the grain terminal.
As Banner began to discuss these concerns during the public comment period, councilmember Michael Wright repeatedly banged his gavel and both he and Hotard told Banner she was not speaking on topic as she made her remarks.
Wright then quoted from an obsolete law under which anyone who publicly shared testimony given to a state ethics board investigation could be subject to one year of imprisonment. A federal judge deemed the law unconstitutional years ago.
“When I heard the words imprisonment and misdemeanor, I thought, ‘That’s it, I’m going to jail, I’ve messed everything up, my business is going to be ruined, my name is going to be ruined.’ I was terrified and shocked,” Banner later testified.
Ike Spears, the parish officials’ attorney, noted that they had also interrupted and instructed to stay on topic other members of the public who spoke during the public comment period. He described Banner as a “disruptive citizen” striving to become a “social media influencer” and garner media attention from the litigation.
“She wants us to reward this conduct with $2 million plus,” Spears told jurors.
Banner’s attorney William Most countered that her intended comments at the public meeting were “vital” to informing the parish about Hotard’s potential conflicts of interest.
“Joy Banner was treated differently than anyone else: She was the only person threatened with arrest and she was also the only one to raise the issue of Hotard’s family business interests,” Most said. “She was directly on topic.”
Hotard also used vitriolic language to describe Banner, including fantasizing about strangling her, in text messages to her mother-in-law that were introduced as evidence. Most said the messages indicated that Hotard had a personal motivation to shut down Banner’s participation in a public meeting.
The state ethics board ruled last year that Hotard had not violated state ethics laws.
Yet Hotard’s mother-in-law later revealed during a deposition for Banner’s lawsuit that Hotard’s husband is a beneficiary of a trust that owned land overlapping with the planned railroad route leading into the proposed grain terminal.
Spears acknowledged that Hotard would “probably” personally benefit from the grain terminal’s approval. But he said increased tax revenue and good-paying jobs were the parish president’s driving motivation in supporting the project.
Hotard, who was not present for the verdict, did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
The jury sent a “strong message against frivolous lawsuits,” Wright said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press. “This is a significant victory for St. John Parish and a promising sign for businesses and industries considering the River Parishes as their home.”
Juror Cam Owen said he was ready to vote in Banner’s favor following closing arguments. He changed his mind — and came to tears during deliberations — after closely reviewing the facts and video footage of the public meeting, which he described as the “deciding factor” for the jury. Owen said jurors calculated the amount of time Banner was able to speak and concluded she was able to express most of her viewpoint.
“At the end of the day, you know, they did try to stop her, but she did actually say what she had to say,” Owen said.
The jury also ruled that the parish had not violated Louisiana’s open meetings law.
Banner said she had no regrets about bringing the lawsuit and said it uncovered the parish president’s hidden financial interests.
“The purpose of this case was for transparency,” Banner said. “I think it’s important to hold people accountable for the things that we feel are wrong.”
“I hope you can heal,” Eastern District of Louisiana Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown told Banner and the parish officials after the verdict. “This is only one part of the process.”
___
Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on X: @jack_brook96.
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