More rain could hit Louisiana after flooding turns deadly

June 6, 2019

Baton Rouge, La. — Cities along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, and the Florida panhandle have been getting hammered by rain, including up to a month’s worth in some places over the past 24 hours. A few tornadoes have also been reported.

In Baton Rouge, a man drowned in his car after it stalled and sank on a flooded road. Many others were rescued. Baton Rouge rescue crews rushed into action Thursday morning, saving a woman who was trapped by the flash flooding.

Forty miles west of Baton Rouge, parts of Henderson, Louisiana, are now submerged. If the water wasn’t enough, the wind made it worse and multiple tornadoes were reported. One barreled through Baton Rouge flipping cars, toppling trees and shredding the roof off an apartment complex.

The last few weeks have seen record shattering rainfall across the south-central United States. The swollen Arkansas River has put a strain on aging levees and nearly wiped out some communities in both Arkansas and Oklahoma.

“It wasn’t much but it was ours. We have over five feet of water,” said April Berumen, of Sand Springs, Oklahoma.

Now, people in Baton Rouge are worried more rain will hit the state Thursday and Friday.