Louisiana Gov. Edwards Request Federal Emergency Declaration in Advance of Tropical Storm Barry

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, July 11 -- Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-Louisiana, issued the following news:

Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards sent a letter to Pres. Donald J. Trump requesting a Federal Declaration of Emergency in advance of Tropical Storm Barry making landfall along the Louisiana coast. The declaration requests that the state receive supplementary federal resources as soon as possible should they be needed. In addition, Gov. Edwards spoke with Acting FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor to discuss Louisiana's unprecedented flood fight now in its 258th day, rising level of the Mississippi River, potential for strong storm surge, inundation and large scale statewide impact. Gov. Edwards also reiterated his appreciation to the administration for their support and response to the state during this and other emergencies.

"This will be a statewide weather event that everyone should take seriously, which is why I have requested federal assistance ahead of landfall in addition to signing the statewide emergency declaration," said Gov. Edwards. "Now is the time for everyone to heed the warnings from their local authorities and get a game plan for their families, pets and businesses. We want everyone to take every precaution necessary to stay safe. We have established ongoing communication and coordination with our local and federal partners and will be ready to respond as needed."

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

Over the past 24 hours, 28 parishes have issued parish emergency declarations, 14 parishes are in the process of completing their emergency declarations, and more are anticipated over the next 24 to 48 hours.

Furthermore, it is necessary that critical pre-positioning and other readiness requirements be provided through federal assistance. As will be detailed later, I request that federal resources be activated to assist with the evaluation of the incident and sheltering operations.

Click here to read the letter (http://gov.louisiana.gov/action.cfm?md=communication&task=addMessageClickThru&msgid=2199&uid=0&encoded=1&redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fgov%2Elouisiana%2Egov%2Fassets%2Fdocs%2FBarry%2FDISASTER%2DTropical%2D1919%2DBarry%2Epdf).