The severe weather that impact Louisiana over the weekend resulted in two deaths. The first was a 13-year-old boy, who fell into a flooded drainage canal in the Evergreen Street area of West Monroe. Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson Deputy Glenn Springfield said call for help came just before 5 o’clock Saturday afternoon.
“The current was really swift, strong, and it basically pulled him under when he fell in,” said Springfield.
The child was identified as Sebastian Omar Martinez. The investigation is ongoing as to why he fell into the water. This is the second child to be killed by flooding in less than a week.
Springfield said a call came in around 10:15 PM of a vehicle being taken over by floodwaters on a rural road in Calhoun. When first responders arrived, the vehicle was still underwater.
“When the deputies got there, they were able to find the vehicle and did find the victim, apparently drowned still inside of the vehicle,” said Springfield.
Deputies say the victim was identified as 80-year-old Patsy Meeks.
Springfield said the flooding has resulted in infrastructure damage that leaves some roads closed today. In West Monroe, Highway 546, which is one of the major state highways in that part of the parish, sustained a severe washout under the roadbed.
“They closed that road completely. Winnfeld Road, which is in the same in the same area of the parish also sustained damage, actually damaging some of the roadbed and the asphalt itself. They closed that part of the road,” said Springfield.
The potential for more severe weather is in the forecast Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
