“That point of reference sometimes helps people understand the seriousness of the situation,” Mr. Edwards said.
This week also marks 15 years since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, overwhelming
“That point of reference sometimes helps people understand the seriousness of the situation,” Mr. Edwards said.
This week also marks 15 years since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, overwhelming
a poorly designed levee and drainage system and swamping much of New Orleans. The commemorations will mostly be understated because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Stay or go? The coronavirus is complicating the decision to evacuate.
No matter how much experience residents of Louisiana and Texas have with storms blowing in from the Gulf of Mexico, the decision to evacuate can be an agonizing one. But in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, it has become even more complicated.
Many living in Laura’s path, particularly those vulnerable to the virus or caring for older relatives, have found themselves weighing the risks of riding out the storm against potential exposure to the virus. Others simply don’t have the means to escape, as their livelihoods were eviscerated when the economy cratered.
The worst of the storm is bound for a part of Louisiana that has also been hit hard with the coronavirus, with officials noting that Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes have the highest positivity rates for virus tests.
Like many of his neighbors in Lake Charles, where a mandatory evacuation order was issued, Chris Vinn spent much of Tuesday sawing lumber to board up his windows. “You could hear saws all over the neighborhood,” he said.
Mr. Vinn, who tested positive for the coronavirus in July, and his family decided to book a home about three hours east in Lafayette through Airbnb instead of looking for a hotel.