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WGUS74 KLCH 062300

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LAZ044-045-052-053-070030-



FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA

555 PM CDT WED JUN 6 2001



...MAJOR FLOODING OCCURRING IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...



...FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR VERMILION...LAFAYETTE...UPPER

SAINT MARTIN...AND IBERIA PARISHES UNTIL 730 PM...



...VERMILION RIVER AT LAFAYETTE RISING TO CRITICAL LEVELS...



AT 555 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS A BAND OF

HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDING FROM NEAR BREAUX BRIDGE TO THE EAST SIDE

OF LAFAYETTE TO ABBEVILLE AND OUT INTO THE GULF. DOPPLER RADAR

ESTIMATES THAT NEARLY 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN IN THE PAST

THREE HOURS AS THIS BAND HAS MOVED SLOWLY THROUGH THE AREA.



AS THIS HEAVY RAIN BAND CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AND MOVE OVER THE SAME

AREA...KNOWN AS TRAINING...AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN

IS POSSIBLE OVER THE ALREADY FLOODED AREAS.



MANY STREETS IN THESE PARISHES ARE UNDERWATER AND IMPASSABLE. THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REPORTS THAT HIGHWAY 90 FROM LAFAYETTE

TO NEW IBERIA IS CLOSED. ALTERNATE ROUTES ARE ALSO CLOSED.



ALSO...THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF WATER CLOSE TO ENTERING MANY HOMES

AND TRAILERS.



MEANWHILE...THE VERMILION RIVER AT LAFAYETTE CONTINUES TO RISE CLOSE

TO CRITICAL LEVELS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS. THE LATEST STAGE OF THE RIVER

WAS NEARLY 12 FEET. THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CREST NEAR 13 FEET THIS

EVENING. FLOODING OF BEAVER PARK AND VERMILIONVILLE NEAR THE RIVER IS

OCCURRING.



AT 13.5 FEET...FLOODING OF SOME YARDS OF HOMES NEAR THE RIVER WILL

OCCUR ALONG WITH MAJOR FLOODING OF BEAVER PARK AND VERMILIONVILLE.



INTERESTS ALONG THE RIVER SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR RIVER LEVELS AS

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AND WATER PILING ALONG THE COAST MAY BRING THE

RIVER TO HIGHER LEVELS. ALSO...BACKWATER FLOODING MAY OCCUR NEAR

DRAINAGE DITCHES AND BAYOUS THAT RUN INTO THE VERMILION RIVER.



A REMINDER...DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS

THE ROADWAY.



RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

TO REPORT FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CALL...

337-477-5285.



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RUA

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