Two confirmed fatalities have been reported in overnight rainfall and flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to Fox 8.
The man whose body was found in a vehicle that was submerged in floodwaters was identified by East Baton Rouge Parish coroner Dr. Beau Clark, according to WAFB.
Justin Thompson, 33, of Gonzales was found inside his vehicle, and the investigation showed no signs of visible trauma or foul play, WAFB reported, citing Clark.
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office authorities said a body was recovered from a vehicle that was submerged on Bluebonnet Boulevard near the Mall of Louisiana on Tuesday, according to WAFB.
Across the Mississippi River near Port Allen, 40-year-old Alvarado Morentes Hermelindo died and another person was missing after their car crashed into a canal Monday evening, Louisiana State Police said.
The National Weather Service said south Lake Charles in western Louisiana saw 12 to 15 inches of rain in a 12-hour period Monday, while elsewhere in the parish as much as 10 inches fell.
As the storm moved east, as much as 13 inches fell overnight in Baton Rouge, according to East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.
“Water came up about 6 inches from going into my house. It got pretty close. I was very, very lucky."
Some parents in Lake Charles picked up their children from school in kayaks Monday because the roads were impassable, and other residents reported on social media taking winding trips through town to avoid flooded roads.
Lake Charles resident Don Dixon said there was intense rainfall for about 12 hours Monday. He lives on Lake Street, but he said it was more like a raging river.
“Water came up about 6 inches from going into my house,” he said. “It got pretty close. I was very, very lucky.”
The Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to more than 300 calls overnight of people either trapped in cars or in homes that were starting to flood, The Advocate reported.
Boat evacuations were made early Tuesday at apartments in Baton Rouge after residents were trapped by floodwaters, according to reporter Perry Robinson.
Nearly 20,000 were without power Tuesday morning in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to news outlet WGNO.
Here is a list of road closures from WGNO:
A confirmed tornado was reported Monday afternoon near Branch, Louisiana, according to News15 Weather.
Flooding and at least one other tornado were reported Monday afternoon in southwest Louisiana as heavy rains hammered the region.
“The flash flooding throughout Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana is dangerous and potentially life threatening,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said on Twitter. “Please join me in praying for the families in Lake Charles who have seen so much loss already.”
A tornado was spotted near Pecaniere in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, according to reporter Cory Smith.
The National Weather Service was reporting a stationary front extending from the Middle Mississippi and Western Ohio valleys into the Central/Southern High Plains and the Great Basin.
“The heavy rain associated with the thunderstorms will produce localized areas of flash flooding,” the agency said.
“The most vulnerable areas to the heavy rain are urban areas, roads, and small streams,” it added.
“The main threats from the severe thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gust, hail, and a few tornadoes,” it predicted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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