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• Time to stock up on hurricane items

  May 20, 2013 10:21 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Shoppers can prepare for the hurricane season while saving some pennies during the Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday. The 2013 sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. May 25 and ends at 11:59 p.m. May 26. Louisiana law spares those shopping for hurricane-related purchases from... more »

• Acadiana Crews Head North to Help Restore Power After Sandy Play Video

  October 29, 2012 11:28 PM

  Crews from across the country are on their way to the northeast to help restore power outages caused by now Tropical Storm Sandy. They're even getting a little bit of help from Acadiana. At least two local companies sent crews to help areas hit by Sandy, CLECO and Entergy. ... more »

• Police Try to Keep Streets Quiet with Curfews During Isaac Play Video

  August 29, 2012 12:01 AM

  Many parishes and cities have set curfews for Tuesday night and Wednesday. Iberia Parish: 10pm Tuesday until 6am Wednesday Gueydan: 10pm Tuesday until 6am Wednesday Abbeville: 10pm Tuesday and 8pm Wednesday Erath: 10pm Tuesday until 6am Wednesday Delcambre: 10pm Tuesday until 6am Wednesday Abbeville Police said they put... more »

• Better Safe than Sorry: Acadiana Prepares for Isaac Play Video

  August 26, 2012 7:39 PM

  As fast as you can move a generator, they've been flying off shelves and floors of hardware stores across Acadiana. "More supplies will be on the way so right now we're selling down pretty quickly," said Lowes Assistant Store Manager Seth Veron. Veron said when it comes to... more »

• Hurricane Conference Held in Lafayette Play Video

  June 11, 2012 1:56 PM

  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting at least nine to fifteen named storms, four to eight will strengthen to a hurricane and one to three of those storms is expected to become a major hurricane this season. A forum was held at Abdalla hall on UL's campus to... more »

• Hurricane conference opens in Biloxi

  June 7, 2012 7:20 AM

  BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - The Gulf States Hurricane Conference is under way in Biloxi, Miss., with more than 300 emergency managers and first responders attending from Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas. The conference has been held the past few years and rotates between the states. The Sun Herald reports those... more »

• Hurricane sales tax holiday set for May 26-27

  May 7, 2012 7:16 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Stocking up on flashlights, batteries and other items to get ready for hurricane season this summer? You might want to wait until May 26 and 27, when the state holds a sales tax holiday for hurricane preparedness items. That weekend, Louisiana residents won't have to... more »

• Hurricane officials: No more tape for windows

  March 27, 2012 6:02 AM

  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Officials with the National Hurricane Center have a message for residents living in hurricane-prone areas: Don't tape your windows. Hurricane center officials are joining with a consumer advocate group Tuesday at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, Fla., to encourage residents to skip taping their windows... more »

• Landrieu: La. get $63.5M for hurricane recovery

  March 22, 2012 7:25 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu says Louisiana is getting about $63.5 million in hurricane recovery funds that will be spent on levees, the Port of New Orleans, raising homes and to fix other damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Landrieu said Wednesday that $55 million will go... more »

• New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward: 6 Years After Katrina

  August 30, 2011 2:39 AM

  Monday marked a somber anniversary in Louisiana; the day Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans. "Six years ago today, we were actually floating on the roof of our house," said Robert Green, a resident of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward. Hurricane Katrina not only swept away Green's... more »

• 6 Years After Katrina, Lower 9th Ward Still Bleak

  August 28, 2011 12:03 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - In New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, the grasses grow taller than people and street after street is scarred by empty decaying houses, the lives that once played out inside their walls hardly imaginable now. St. Claude Avenue, the once moderately busy commercial thoroughfare, looks like the... more »

• After Irene: Little Damage Seen in Many Places

  August 28, 2011 11:59 AM

  KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. (AP) - From North Carolina to Pennsylvania, Hurricane Irene appeared to have fallen short of the doomsday predictions. But with rivers still rising, and roads impassable because of high water and fallen trees, it could be days before the full extent of the damage is known.... more »

• Irene Makes Landfall on Quiet, Anxious NYC

  August 28, 2011 11:55 AM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Rainfall overflowed sewers and seawater lapped at sidewalks at the edges of New York City from densely populated lower Manhattan to the far reaches of Queens as a weakening Irene made landfall over Coney Island early Sunday. Sections of the thoroughfares on the east and west... more »

• Irene Weakens Slightly over New York State

  August 28, 2011 11:49 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Forecasters say Irene has weakened slightly over New York state. The National Hurricane Center said late Sunday morning that the tropical storm's maximum sustained winds had decreased to about 60 mph. Irene was to continue weakening as it passes over New England, and it's expected to move... more »

• Travelers Wait for Flights to Resume After Irene

  August 28, 2011 11:39 AM

  Travelers across the nation waited for flights to resume in and out of East Coast airports that were closed by Tropical Storm Irene this weekend. Irene was downgraded from a hurricane Sunday as winds ebbed around the time that the storm pushed into New York, the nation's busiest air-traffic region.... more »

• Corps Completes Levees Around St. Bernard Parish

  June 4, 2011 10:51 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Army Corps of Engineers says St. Bernard Parish - the parish southeast of New Orleans swamped by Katrina - has the best levee system its ever had. On Friday, the corps said an 8.5-mile-long floodwall between Verret and Caernarvon was done. It was the last... more »

• June 1 marks start of Atlantic storm season

  June 1, 2011 10:12 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Coastal residents, you've been warned: Hurricane season has begun. The six-month Atlantic hurricane season begins Wednesday and continues through Nov. 30. Federal forecasters say they expect three to six major hurricanes from an above-average storm season. Major hurricanes are storms with top winds of 111 mph and... more »

• Nation's Largest Flood Gates in New Orleans

  March 3, 2011 7:40 PM

  The nation's largest floodgates are about to be placed in waters south of New Orleans. Officials from the Army Corps of Engineers promised a 100 year storm protection plan would be up by this June. The two flood gates weigh more than fifteen hundred tons. It is just one part... more »

• Housing aid extended for Ike, Gustav victims

  February 18, 2011 9:22 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Federal officials are extending disaster housing aid for victims of hurricane Ike and Gustav by five months. The extension, announced Friday, will help about 1,743 families in Louisiana. The victims have been receiving disaster aid since the hurricanes hit in the fall of 2008. The rental... more »

• Suit seeks to halt New Orleans levee work

  January 11, 2011 8:43 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A lawsuit is threatening to slow down or even halt work to strengthen a canal that broke catastrophically during Hurricane Katrina. Homeowners with backyards along the 17th Street Canal filed a civil suit in state court on Jan. 5 to stop the work because they claim... more »

• Feds clear BR police of post-Katrina misconduct

  January 4, 2011 9:27 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The U.S. Justice Department has cleared Baton Rouge police officers who were accused of harassing African-Americans, using unnecessary violence and conducting illegal searches after Hurricane Katrina. The move, reported by WAFB-TV on Tuesday, was confirmed by the current and former Baton Rouge police chiefs. "After... more »

• New Orleans moves to get rid of last FEMA trailers

  December 30, 2010 9:23 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The era of the FEMA trailer - a symbol of the prolonged rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina - might be drawing to a close in New Orleans. Citing the remaining 221 trailers as blight, New Orleans officials have told the last remaining residents to be out by... more »

• Bridge blockade claims thrown out

  December 28, 2010 9:24 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge has thrown out the remaining claims in a lawsuit that said police violated people's constitutional rights by firing warning shots to stop them from crossing a bridge to escape flooding from Hurricane Katrina. Having dismissed about 90 percent of the claims in September,... more »

• Deliberations continue in Katrina police shooting

  December 8, 2010 9:43 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A jury has deliberated for a second day without reaching a verdict in the trial of five current and former New Orleans police officers charged in the death of a man who was fatally shot and his body burned after Hurricane Katrina. Jurors are expected to... more »

• N.O. cop who admitted lying to grand jury retires

  December 6, 2010 9:38 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A New Orleans police sergeant who admitted lying to the grand jury probing a deadly police shooting after Hurricane Katrina has retired from the department. Cmdr. Bob Young says Sgt. Purnella Simmons - a 29-year veteran - retired Monday, but no reason was given for her... more »

• Hurricane Paula Strengthens into a Category 2

  October 12, 2010 2:23 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Paula has strengthened into a Category 2 storm with top sustained winds of 100 miles per hour (160 kph) off the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Tuesday that Paula was moving north-northwest at near 10 mph (17 kph). ... more »

• Hurricane Paula forms, heads to Yucatan Peninsula

  October 12, 2010 7:55 AM

  TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) - Honduran emergency officials urged coastal residents to evacuate low-lying areas and Mexico issued a hurricane warning as Paula strengthened into a powerful storm Tuesday and battered the Caribbean coast with strong winds and rain. Paula formed Monday off the coast of Honduras and quickly intensified into... more »

• Crucial New Levy in Intracoastal City

  October 7, 2010 5:20 PM

  A crucial levy in Vermilion Parish is finally finished, after years in the making. Hurricanes Rita and Ike destroyed a levy in Intracoastal city that blocked saltwater from ruining a staple in the Parish-- rice crops. "It was allowing saltwater into the Mermentau River basin, one of the... more »

• 5 years after Hurricane Rita, some left out of Recovery

  September 23, 2010 9:12 AM

  CAMERON, La. - First Baptist Church in Cameron will celebrate its grand reopening Saturday, five years and one day after Hurricane Rita nearly obliterated the town. Such upbeat milestones have been rare in Cameron, which has seen its population shrink from roughly 1,500 to 280 residents since Rita and Hurricane... more »

• N.O. Council says It's Time to get Rid of FEMA Trailers

  September 21, 2010 9:38 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - It's time to get rid of nearly 260 FEMA trailers remaining of the 23,300 installed after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans five years ago, several City Council members say. The trailers spoil the city's image of recovery, Housing and Human Needs Committee members agreed during Monday night's... more »

• Hurricane Karl takes aim at Mexican Gulf Coast

  September 17, 2010 11:30 AM

  VERACRUZ, Mexico (AP) - Hurricane Karl grew with surprising speed into a powerful Category 3 storm Friday, prompting closure of Gulf of Mexico oil facilities, and forecasters said the storm could strengthen further before hitting near the country's largest power plant. Karl's maximum sustained winds already were near 120 mph... more »

• Karl Has Become a Hurricane

  September 16, 2010 11:47 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Karl has become a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico after dumping heavy rains on the Yucatan Peninsula as a tropical storm. A hurricane warning was issued Thursday for Mexico's coast from Palma Sola to Cabo Rojo. Also, a tropical storm warning has been issued for the... more »

• Contractor Not Immune From Liability For Failed Floodwall During Hurricane Katrina

  September 15, 2010 11:10 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal appeals court has ruled that a government contractor isn't immune from liability for its work on a New Orleans floodwall and levee system that failed during Hurricane Katrina. Tuesday's ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revives claims against Washington Group International... more »

• Hurricane Julia Has Formed Becoming the 5th Hurricane of the Season

  September 14, 2010 1:06 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Julia has formed far out over the Atlantic, becoming the fifth hurricane of the season. Julia has maximum sustained winds Tuesday near 75 mph (120 kph) with some additional strengthening expected during the next day or so. The hurricane is located about 330 miles (535 kilometers)... more »

• Powerful Hurricane Igor Roared Far Out In The Atlantic

  September 13, 2010 12:50 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Powerful Hurricane Igor roared far out in the Atlantic Monday, with forecasters expecting it to remain over open water through at least the end of the week. Igor was a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph (240 kph). The forecast track shows it... more »

• Hurricane Earl Weakened to a Category 1

  September 3, 2010 11:28 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Earl has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it heads for the Northeast and some watches and warnings have been reduced or dropped from Long Island to Maine. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Friday that a hurricane warning for the southeast coast of... more »

• Hurricane Earl Blows Toward North Carolina

  September 2, 2010 1:27 PM

  BUXTON, N.C. (AP) - Hurricane Earl packed winds near 140 mph as it blew toward North Carolina on Thursday, putting the Eastern Seaboard up to Maine on alert for a Labor Day weekend pounding by waves, gales and rain. A hurricane warning for the tip of Massachusetts, including Nantucket and... more »

• Hurricane Watch Issued For Most Of The North Carolina Coast

  August 31, 2010 5:07 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - A hurricane watch has been issued for most of the North Carolina coast ahead of Hurricane Earl. Earl is a Category 4 storm with winds near 135 mph (215 kph). It's about 1,000 miles (1,605 km) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C. A hurricane watch is in effect... more »

• Hurricane Ike-Battered Dike in Texas City Reopening

  August 31, 2010 3:22 PM

  TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) - The Hurricane Ike-battered dike in Texas City will reopen Sept. 11. Officials say repairs are being completed for the dike to reopen two days before the second anniversary of the hurricane. Boat ramps, fishing piers and bait camps lined the 5-mile-long dike before Ike stormed... more »

• Hurricane Earl has Become a Major Hurricane

  August 30, 2010 12:18 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Earl has become a major hurricane in the Caribbean, reaching Category 3 status with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph (195 kph). Also, a new hurricane warning has been issued Monday for the Puerto Rican islands of Culebra and Vieques. Earl has been lashing the northeastern... more »

• Earl Becomes a Category 1 Hurricane in Atlantic

  August 29, 2010 12:38 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Forecasters say Earl has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it barrels toward several islands in the eastern Caribbean. Meanwhile, the Category 1 Hurricane Danielle was bringing dangerous rip currents to the U.S. East Coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Earl could make... more »

• 2 Million Katrina Volunteers

  August 27, 2010 11:24 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - From celebrities to everyday people, more than 2 million volunteers are estimated to have poured into Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005. They rebuilt houses, fed families, provided medical care, hauled debris and created playgrounds. And they helped give the devastated... more »

• Tropical Weather Update

  August 27, 2010 11:21 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Danielle has become a Category 4 storm far out over the Atlantic today as it heads in Bermuda's direction. It threatens to bring dangerous rip currents to the U.S. East Coast. Danielle's maximum sustained winds were near 135 miles-per-hour with some slight strengthening possible. Danielle was... more »

• Hurricane and Tropical Storm Update

  August 26, 2010 5:33 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Forecasters say Hurricane Danielle is expected to become a major hurricane as it churns across the open Atlantic, headed for Bermuda. Danielle has developed a well-defined eye and had maximum sustained winds Thursday near 110 mph (175 kph). Danielle is several hundred miles away from Bermuda, but... more »

• Hurricane Frank has formed in the Pacific

  August 25, 2010 1:02 PM

  MIAMI - Hurricane Frank has formed in the Pacific off Mexico's coast while a new tropical depression formed in the Atlantic. Frank has maximum sustained winds Wednesday near 75 mph (120 kph). The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Frank could get stronger as it moves away from Mexico's... more »

• Signs of a mixed recovery along hurricane highway

  August 25, 2010 9:25 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - U.S. 90 is littered with reminders of Hurricane Katrina, but plenty of signs of progress can be spotted along the coastal highway five years after the storm. Many residents along the road from New Orleans to Biloxi, Miss., are mere bystanders to the region's slow but... more »

• Elevation Funds Debate

  August 19, 2010 7:45 PM

  Some Vermilion Parish homeowners are struggling with a huge financial decision. Thursday afternoon, The Office of Community Development held a meeting in Abbeville to try to resolve a debate between 540 people across Louisiana and State officials. It all started in 2008, after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, when residents... more »

• $275 Million Renovation on Familiar Symbol of Hurricane Katrina

  August 18, 2010 4:16 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Renovation work has begun on the Hyatt Regency New Orleans - the hotel that became a familiar symbol of Hurricane Katrina's destruction when shattered glass poured onto streets and furniture was sucked out of broken windows. The $275 million project is aimed at a fall 2011... more »

• Hurricane Rita Evacuee Has Been Deemed Competent To Stand Trial

  August 18, 2010 1:43 PM

  A 56-year-old Hurricane Rita evacuee has been deemed competent to stand trial on a second-degree murder charge in the 2005 stabbing death of her sister in Lafayette. Suzanne Shirley Buckins, an evacuee from Lake Charles, has been incarcerated since her arrest for the November 2005 killing of her sister,... more »

• Obama To Travel to NOLA for 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

  August 13, 2010 12:18 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama will mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans on Aug. 29. The White House says Obama will speak at Xavier University. Other administration officials who have worked on Katrina recovery efforts will also be in the region to mark the anniversary.... more »

• Hurricane Could Bring Bureaucratic Delays to Gulf

  August 9, 2010 9:15 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - If a hurricane hits the Gulf Coast and whips up oil from BP's massive spill, cleanup workers will not be able to swoop into action to fix the mess. A new Obama administration edict requires that the oil be tested before it can be cleaned, according to... more »

• St. Tammany Parish's Last Hurricane Katrina Mission

  July 30, 2010 12:18 PM

  COVINGTON, La. (AP) - St. Tammany Parish says it is creating what it calls one of the most comprehensive websites there is about Hurricane Katrina for the fifth anniversary of the storm. A news release says officials hope it will be the parish's last Hurricane Katrina mission. The site -... more »

• Vermilion Parish Prepares for Bonnie

  July 23, 2010 7:15 PM

  Parts of Delcambre and other coastal towns in Vermilion Parish often get hit hard by hurricanes. Bonnie's status thus far has Becky Broussard, the Director of Emergency Preparedness, breathing easy, but she still says residents need to keep a watchful eye. "If it does typically flood with heavy... more »

• Prepare Now, Don't Panic Later

  July 23, 2010 7:05 PM

  Bonnie may not make a direct hit on Acadiana but, the Office of Emergency Preparedness is warning residents not to be complacent. Officials are hoping Acadiana residents prepare now, so they won't panic later. Shoppers were passing up the hurricane displays at Home Depot Friday. Even those who admitted... more »

• New Flood Zone Maps Several Parishes

  July 20, 2010 1:40 PM

  Some Acadiana parishes, including St. Landry, St. Martin and Jeff Davis have new flood zone maps this year, just in time for the peak of hurricane season. Homeowners who need flood insurance should take a look at the maps to avoid paying a higher price in a few weeks.... more »

• FEMA Trailer Auction

  July 8, 2010 6:23 PM

  One of the biggest health concerns after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was high formaldehyde levels in FEMA trailers. But since then, the fear of becoming sick in the trailers has vanished with a good bargain. 300 FEMA trailers now fill the old Evangeline Downs Race Track in Carencro. Anxious... more »

• Bird Rehab Center Moving Out of Hurricane Zone

  July 5, 2010 10:07 AM

  FORT JACKSON, La. (AP) - A center where birds oiled by the BP spill have been cleaned is being moved about 100 miles inland to Hammond, La. Officials of the oil spill joint command center said the move will put the facility out of the coastal hurricane danger zone. Hammond... more »

• Waves From Hurricane Alex Damaged Alabama Steel Booms

  July 1, 2010 3:59 PM

  ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (AP) - Six-foot waves from Hurricane Alex have damaged a new, $4.6 million system meant to prevent oil from flowing into Perdido Bay. The structure is composed of more than 3,000 feet of long steel pipes that are strung together in Perdido Pass between dozens of pilings... more »

• Hurricane Alex Destroyed 1,000 Feet of Cameron Parish Sand Wall

  July 1, 2010 3:45 PM

  CAMERON, La. (AP) - High tides from Hurricane Alex destroyed 1,000 feet of a sand wall the Louisiana National Guard built in Cameron Parish as a barrier against oil from the BP well. KPLC-TV reports a tide 3 feet above normal seeped through the barriers Wednesday and washed the sand... more »

• Alex Upgraded to a Hurricane

  June 29, 2010 10:45 PM

  UPDATE: MIAMI (AP) - Alex has become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and is churning through the western Gulf, taking aim at the Mexico-Texas border and far away from the massive oil spill. Alex had maximum sustained winds at 75 mph (120 kph) late Tuesday. The National Hurricane... more »

• Slemco Storm-Rider Charge

  June 16, 2010 6:32 PM

  Slemco costumers are seeing a new charge on their bill. It's called "Gustav-Ike Storm-Rider" and is suppose to help the electric company replenish funds used during those 2008 hurricanes. Communications Manager at Slemco, Mary Laurent, says other electric companies implement charges like this after storms all the time. But,... more »

• Acadian Ambulance Hurricane Preps

  June 7, 2010 2:51 PM

  Lafayette-based Acadian Ambulance, which serves over half the state, is in hurricane preparation mode. Vice President of Operations, Jerry Romero, says they are more ready than ever. "We've really streamlined our plan - we're using the command system the federal government uses, we make sure we have the... more »

• Hurricane Sales Tax Weekend

  May 28, 2010 10:34 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The 2010 Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday takes place Saturday and Sunday. Louisianians can get a tax break when buying emergency supplies, including self-powered light sources like flashlights and candles; portable self-powered radios; two-way radios and weather-band radios; tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting.... more »

• Hurricane Season Preps- Get A Game Plan

  May 27, 2010 12:59 PM

  Hurricane season starts Tuesday-- and law enforcement and parish leaders are getting ready. They want everyone to get a game plan now. Acadiana's leaders in emergency preparedness finalized plans this week at meetings such as Thursday's summit in St. Martinville. They say pre-planning is especially important in... more »

• What Happens If A Hurricane Comes?

  May 26, 2010 2:15 PM

  A hurricane might help break up the oil spill staining the Gulf of Mexico, but the oil won't change significantly how tropical storms develop or the damage they inflict, the director of the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday. A hurricane making landfall west of the spill could drive... more »

• Tax-Free Hurricane Items this Weekend

  May 25, 2010 2:10 PM

  Hurricane season starts June 1st, so prepare by saving money on supplies this weekend. Items like batteries, generators and carbon monoxide detectors are tax free: "It's the first 1500 dollars of each eligible item and you save 4% on each item," says sot: Susan Malcombe from the Department... more »

• East Feliciana Seeks $3M in Grant for Hurricane Work

  May 19, 2010 10:12 AM

  CLINTON, La. (AP) - The East Feliciana Police Jury has requested a $3 million Community Development Block Grant to assist the parish's recovery from hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The grant request the jury approved Tuesday includes projects in the towns of Slaughter and Jackson and the villages of Wilson and... more »

• Deadline for 2008 Hurricane Agribusiness Loans

  May 19, 2010 9:30 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - May 28 is the deadline for agribusiness owners affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike to apply for low-interest loans through the Agribusiness Recovery Loan Program. Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says that's the day finished applications must be delivered and date stamped by... more »

• Sales Tax Holiday for Hurricane Supplies May 29-30

  May 12, 2010 10:04 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Hurricane season is fast approaching and the state wants to help residents prepare. On May 29 and 30, Louisianians can get a tax break when buying emergency supplies, including self-powered light sources like flashlights and candles; portable self-powered radios; two-way radios and weather-band radios; tarpaulins... more »

• Homes Not Elevated Following Hurricanes

  March 22, 2010 7:20 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A large number of Louisiana homeowners who got up to $30,000 to raise their homes out of the danger from floods after Hurricane Katrina have not jacked up their properties, a federal housing inspector general has found. A recent report by... more »

• Latest "Green" Housing in Acadiana

  December 10, 2009 2:04 PM

  The latest in "green" technology has arrived in Acadiana. The company iSpace has teamed up with Louisiana System Built Homes of St. Martinville to build up-and-coming green homes. This project has been a work in progress for four years. It started after Hurricane Katrina, when iSpace realized the need... more »

• Coastal Erosion

  November 24, 2009 9:05 AM

  Families first moved to the coast from France in 1770 drawn by the abundant resources and that life today continues to fish the coast. Louisiana is the nation's largest producer of shrimp, oysters and blue crab and fills a large part of the US fresh fish demand and 40 thousand... more »

• Thousands in La. eligible for storm grants

  November 17, 2009 8:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Thousands of Louisiana residents are eligible for grants to pay for storm shutters and other hurricane protection improvements to their homes. This week, the state is mailing out applications to more than 100,000 victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita for storm mitigation grants of up... more »

• Flood Walls for E. Broussard Elementary

  November 11, 2009 12:25 PM

  Vermilion Parish School Superintendent Randy Schexnayder is taking his mission to Washington DC. Today, he met with Senators Mary Landrieu and David Vitter to try to get FEMA funds to build a flood wall for E. Broussard Elementary in Forked Island. After four years of no recess equipment for students,... more »

• Offshore rigs restore production following Ida

  November 10, 2009 2:29 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are reboarding platforms and rigs and restoring production following Tropical Storm Ida. The Minerals Management Service's Continuity of Operations Plan team is monitoring the operators' activities. This team will be activated until operations return to normal. ... more »

• Rigs and platforms evacuated for TS Ida

  November 9, 2009 3:19 PM

  Tropical Storm Ida Activity Statistics Update - November 9, 2009: Minerals Management Service monitors activities through its Continuity of Operations Plan NEW ORLEANS - Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in the path of Tropical Storm Ida. The Minerals Management... more »

• Governor Bobby Jindal Says State Preparing for Tropical Storm Ida

  November 9, 2009 2:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Today, Governor Bobby Jindal held a press conference, following a meeting of the State's Unified Command Group, which assembled to prepare state response efforts for the threat of Tropical Storm Ida. Governor Jindal said, "We saw this storm move up to hurricane status over the weekend... more »

• It Won't Stop Raining in Rayne

  November 9, 2009 2:09 PM

  Twice in the last 5 years the Frog Festival's dates changed because it will not stop raining in Rayne. After several years of hurricanes, moving the date this year to November sounded like a good idea... until Hurricane Ida came along. After 8 months of planning, this was the... more »

• St. Landry Parish wants training facility

  October 26, 2009 8:02 AM

  OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) - St. Landry Parish is in line to receive $12.7 million in federal hurricane mitigation funds, and the single largest project it hopes to fund will be a multi-agency training center. Opelousas Fire Chief Lee Cahanin said $1.5 million set aside by the parish will get it... more »

• Vermilion Police Jury OKs hospital repair bid

  October 20, 2009 8:21 AM

  ABBEVILLE, La. (AP) - The Vermilion Parish Police Jury has accepted a low bid of $890,045 from J. Reynolds & Co. Inc., of Saginaw, Texas, to repair the roof of Abbeville General Hospital and provide wind abatement for the building. It was the lowest of 13 bids received Monday from... more »

• Louisiana graduation rate falls

  October 19, 2009 8:46 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A new report says Louisiana suffered the biggest drop in its public high school graduation rate of any state in the Southern region over a five-year period. The study says 13 of 16 Southern states reviewed showed graduation gains between 2002 and 2006, a big... more »

• President Obama makes first trip to New Orleans

  October 15, 2009 7:37 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama, who accused former President George W. Bush of leading a government "that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns," is hearing directly from New Orleans residents who have struggled to rebuild their city since the 2005 hurricane season. Obama arrives in... more »

• Holly Beach update

  October 1, 2009 2:04 PM

  HOLLY BEACH, La. (AP) - Before two hurricanes hit in three years, a collection of modest beach houses and trailers along the Gulf known as the "Cajun Riviera" drew thousands for summer weekends of crabbing, beer drinking and kids playing in the surf. Now, the few-dozen families who do... more »

• Landrieu Reflects on 4th Anniversary of Hurricane Rita

  September 24, 2009 1:58 PM

  WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today released the following statement commemorating the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Rita: "Four years ago today, Hurricane Rita came crashing ashore along the Louisiana/Texas border. With winds in excess of 120 miles per hour pushing a 20-foot wall of water, the... more »

• Big Three Stories for Thursday, September 24th

  September 24, 2009 8:09 AM

  State Police have released the identity of the victim killed in a hit and run incident. 38-year-old Benjamin Lewis from Houston, Texas was discovered in the 37-hundred block of Verot School Road between Fortune Road and Highway 92. State Police believe the vehicle came from the north bound lane of... more »

• New Iberia Railroad & Drainage Getting Fixed

  September 21, 2009 2:24 PM

  New Iberia has always had flooding, water buildup, and drainage problems after it rains, and locals are doubtful that anything will change. "We've always been promised that something's going to be done and we've yet to see anything done about it," said one resident. A big railroad reconstruction... more »