BATON ROUGE, La. - The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) urges everyone to use caution has heavy rainfall continues to impact the region. Tropical Depression 17 has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and could become Tropical Storm Olga. National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters say it will likely merge with a cold front and move into central Louisiana later this evening.
This morning, GOHSEP held a conference call with the NWS and local emergency managers across south Louisiana. GOHSEP has also activated its Crisis Action Team to process requests for state support related to potential weather issues.
"While we will likely see some flash flood problems in certain areas, it's difficult to determine exactly where that will happen," said GOHSEP Director Jim Waskom. "We urge everyone to use caution if traveling this weekend. Stay weather aware. If you have outdoor activities planned, use caution during these potentially dangerous conditions that are expected to last through Saturday afternoon in some areas. In addition to the flood threat, tornadoes are possible. Watch for alerts from the NWS, your local emergency officials and your local media. Download the free ALERT FM App for additional notices. We strongly urge everyone to check your supplies and review www.getagameplan.org [getagameplan.org] for more preparedness information."
NWS officials say any tropical threat should be short lived as the system merges with the cold front. During any tropical event, the state could be impacted by tidal surge, flooding and wind damage.
