Record-setting rains flooded dozens of homes and closed roads in northwestern Louisiana
Pastor Dale Morgan
Record-setting rains flooded dozens of homes and closed roads in
northwestern Louisiana*
AP
SHREVEPORT, La. - Record-setting rains flooded dozens of homes and
closed roads in northwestern Louisiana, and the misery could rise along
with the water as another round of storms approached Wednesday,
authorities said.
Beginning late Tuesday, more than 10 inches of rain deluged the
Shreveport area, nearly half fell in one hour, flooding at least 90
homes, officials said.
Shreveport's drainage system was functioning but was inundated by the
amount of rain, said Mike Strong, city director of operational services.
Numerous roads were closed in the region, along with the gates at
Barksdale Air Force Base. Deputies checked houses for stranded residents
in the southern part of Caddo Parish, where floods cut off normal street
access.
The National Weather Service said the 4.43 inches that fell in one hour
broke a record of 3.16 inches.
With another round of storms accompanied by high water expected
Wednesday, public schools closed at midday. Both Caddo and Bossier
parishes were under a flash flood watch until Thursday morning.
A water main broke in Shreveport, and it was repaired, but a boil
advisory remains in effect until water-quality tests are done.
At the height of the storm, about 18,000 customers of Southwestern
Electric Power Co. lost power because of limbs and trees that fell on
utility lines.
Meanwhile, President Bush issued a major-disaster declaration Wednesday
for the county that includes Picher, Okla., a polluted community where
several residents died as a tornado tore through over the weekend.
The declaration means Ottawa County residents affected by the storm will
be able to receive individual assistance, including grants for temporary
housing and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.
Because the former mining town is in a Superfund site, residents there
will not be able to rebuild in Picher.
The Environmental Protection Agency is testing the air to see whether it
became tainted with lead when the tornado scattered mine waste. Agency
spokeswoman Tressa Tillman said Wednesday that preliminary tests showed
particulate levels weren't high enough to raise health concerns.