News

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.

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.

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.