Gov. Landry gives update as Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Just as Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Jeff Landry urged residents to stay prepared as the hurricane season continues.

Landry stated that the latest forecast was encouraging, as it appeared that the storm would not likely produce the rain and wind event it could have. Although the threat has lessened, the state will continue to communication wtih local governments as the storm moves through.

According to Landry, the state has been working closely with New Orleans since Sunday to make sure the city was prepared, including communication with the sewage and water board and levee authorities.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) supplied thousands of sandbags to Orleans Parish, among other preparations involving drainage pumps and flood forecasting.

State climatologist Jay Grymes said Bertha landed a little more north than previously expected, adding that the shear and dry air are “taking most of the punch out of the storm.” He said flooding is likely along the coast and in places where flooding is a normal occurrence.

Grymes said Bertha could “collapse” in the next 48-60 hours but reiterated that people should still stay weather aware.

GOHSEP announced the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center ahead of Bertha. Residents were encouraged to use the Get a Game Plan website and app for preparedness resources.

On an unrelated topic, Attorney General Liz Murrill addressed the charges against her being dropped while in attendance for the tropical storm update.

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