Severe weather impacting southeast Louisiana has produced road flooding and reports of a tornado outbreak. East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome says the flood waters resulted in one death, adding the heaviest rains came today during rush hour traffic.
“Dumping approximately three and a half inches of rain across the parish in a thirty minute to one hour timeframe,” said Broome.
Some areas of the parish have received up to five inches of rain since last night with reports of possible tornado damage.
Livingston Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson Lori Steele says teams are surveying the wind damage from what is believed to be a tornado outbreak in various areas of the parish.
“They have some tornadoes reported near a Baptist church in Killian near Scratches Lane. And there is a tree on a trailer from a possible tornado on South Satsuma, and that’s near Taylor,” said Steele.
Some areas that saw flooding in 2016 are also experiencing issues today. Steele discourages residents from sightseeing as many roads are impassable due to water and fallen trees.
“For example, we had a driving school instructor out with a student and they were trapped because a tree was blocking a roadway,” said Steele.
As of noon Thursday, thousands of Entergy and DEMCO customers are without power.
