LOUISIANA RECOVERY— The death toll from Hurricane Laura has risen to 19 people across Louisiana and Texas. Louisiana’s health department reports the latest death of a 49-year-old central Louisiana man who died when a tree he was cutting fell on him.
Insured storm losses to residential, commercial and industrial properties are estimated to be around nine-billion dollars.
Louisiana residents who evacuated are returning to survey the damage to homes and businesses and are in need of assistance including temporary shelter. There has been a concern about congregant shelters regarding Coronavirus mitigation measures. At his press briefing yesterday, Governor John Bel Edwards explained more about emergency shelter spaces.
"We don't want to do congregant shelters anymore than is absolutely necessary," Edwards said. "When people report to the Mega Shelter in Alexandria, we're hoping we are going to be able to register them and send them to a hotel room right away. If for some reason we can't do that, we want their time in that shelter to be as brief as possible before we can get them in a non-congregant shelter/hotel room."
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has opened a reception center at the Alexandria Mega Shelter at 8125 Highway 71 South for those who need shelter.
Alexandria's shelter is open 24 hours a day. Information is also available by texting LAShelter to 898-211 or by calling 211.
