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Street flooding, power outages, lightning strikes reported during Wednesday's downpour

4 years 6 months 4 weeks ago Wednesday, August 28 2019 Aug 28, 2019 August 28, 2019 7:35 PM August 28, 2019 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Drainage systems were working overtime as heavy rain hit the capital city and surrounding areas Wednesday evening.

According to the WBRZ Weather Center, the storm and gusty winds were a result of a front approaching our area.

Dr. Josh Eachus explained Wednesday:

A cold front will be pushing into our area today from the north. Prior to its arrival, very warm temperatures are expected with oppressive humidity. That combination will create feels-like temperatures between 105 and 110 degrees, prompting a HEAT ADVISORY from the National Weather Service. Remember to hydrate and take it easy outdoors—especially during the afternoon. The approaching front will develop scattered showers and thunderstorms.

A lightning strike even caused a massive fire at an apartment complex in Shenandoah.

Street flooding prompted the closure of some roadways late Wednesday evening, like the notorious Acadian underpass. LSU tweeted stating some campus streets were blocked due to the flash flooding.

Director of Drainage and Transportation Fred Raiford discussed drainage in the parish Thursday morning. Raiford said officials would be meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers later today to talk about several projects including the cleaning of five major canals.

Click here to watch the full interview. 

At one point, over 1,900 Entergy customers in East Baton Rouge Parish were without power. Ascension had 500 customers in the dark, and nearly 240 customers in Iberville Parish had no electricity.

Around 6 a.m. Thursday morning the company reported that more than 140 customers in EBR were still without power. 

To view the outage map, click here.

The National Hurricane Center says Dorian could grow into a dangerous Category 3 hurricane as it swirls toward Florida. While not overly alarming for the central Gulf Coast at this time, you should continue to check-in for updates.

Follow WBRZ on Twitter for live traffic and weather updates.

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