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At the age of 80, Whalen Bertrand is busy getting ready for Tropical Storm Laura Monday evening.

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Whalen Bertrand lifts a boat trailer in order to back his tractor behind it. He moved the boat onto a ridge in case a storm surge hits Pecan Island.

Pecan Island resident takes a storm surge seriously

PECAN ISLAND - Whalen Bertrand has been dealing with storm surge since he was 16 years old. Today, he is 80 years old and lives in Pecan Island.
For the last two days, Bertrand, who lives on the westside of Pecan Island, has been getting ready for Hurricane Laura. He has picked up things in his yard and carried them up to his house.
Laura is expected to bring a 7-11 foot storm surge to parts of Vermilion Parish.
Bertrand does not need a weather person to tell him if Laura is dangerous. He only needs to know where along the coast will the storm hit.

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Curfew issued in Abbeville

Due to the severe weather expected with Hurricane Laura, the city of Abbeville will have a curfew in effect from 10 p.m. tonight (Aug. 26) until 5 a.m. tomorrow (Aug. 27).
The curfew applies to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic, with the exception of emergency vehicles and personnel. This does not apply to anyone traveling to and from work or conducting essential city business activity. Curfews for tomorrow and any following day will be declared on a daily, based on ongoing conditions.

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LSU AgCenter file photo by Bruce Schultz
A combine cuts a rice crop as a storm approaches. South Louisiana farmers are hoping Hurricane Laura will have minimal effects on their crops and livestock.

Farmers prepare for Hurricane Laura by moving livestock, cutting crops

Farmers are preparing for Hurricane Laura by getting their crops out of the fields and moving livestock away from coastal areas.
A previous storm that hit the Cameron Parish coast almost 15 years ago is being used as a reference with expectations Laura will bring a devastating storm surge.
“It’s looking like Hurricane Rita,” said Andrew Granger, LSU AgCenter agent in Vermilion Parish.
Granger said rice farmers are working into the night to get their crop harvested, noting the storm could ruin half of the parish’s second rice crop.

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UPDATED 7 A.M.: LAURA WINDS REACH 110 MPH; MAY BE CATEGORY 4 WEDNESDAY

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
HURRICANE LAURA
BULLETIN
urricane Laura Intermediate Advisory Number 26A
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL132020
700 AM CDT Wed Aug 26 2020
...LAURA STRENGTHENS INTO A MAJOR HURRICANE...
...POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC STORM SURGE, EXTREME WINDS, AND FLASH
FLOODING EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTHWEST GULF COAST TONIGHT...
...STEPS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO
COMPLETION IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...
SUMMARY OF 700 AM CDT...1200 UTC...INFORMATION

Prepare ahead to keep food safe during power outages

BATON ROUGE — With Hurricane Laura expected to make landfall on the coast of Louisiana, many residents in the state may find themselves without electricity. The safety of refrigerated and frozen foods is always a concern following extended power outages.
LSU AgCenter food safety expert Wennie Xu recommends planning ahead to have plenty of ice on hand before the anticipated outage.
You can purchase or make ice and store it in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. You also can freeze gel packs for use in coolers.

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Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548

The Gueydan Journal

311 Main Street
Gueydan, LA 70542